March 15, 2004
Canada To Restrict Poultry Movement Following Bird Flu
An bird flu control area has been established in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadian Agriculture Minister Bob Speller said.
The decision to restrict the movement of all birds in captivity followed confirmation Thursday that the H7 virus had been found on the second farm near Abbotsford, a few miles north of Sumas, Wash.
Earlier, authorities disclosed that low and high pathogenic strains of the H7 virus had been found on the first farm where large numbers of chickens began dying last month.
Both farms have been quarantined, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency began slaughtering chickens on the second farm Thursday although "the pathogenicity of the virus found on the second farm has yet to be confirmed," according to an agency announcement.
Restrictions in the control area cover all birds in captivity, including pets, newborn chicks and hatching eggs, and bird products such as eggs.
"It gives us the legal ability and enforcement authority to take certain actions and that is why the control area is important to us," said Dr. Cornelius Kiley, an agency spokesman.
Permits may be issued for movement of birds and bird products, and the restrictions do not necessarily mean commercial shipments of poultry meat will be halted, Kiley said.
"This approach is a well-recognized approach to how you deal with serious animal diseases such as avian influenza," he said.
The European Union banned all imports of poultry products and pet birds from Canada on Thursday.
Fourteen countries placed full or partial bans on Canadian poultry after the first outbreak was confirmed. With tests being conducted at the second farm, Japan and the United States moved Wednesday to keep the products out.
Graham Currie, a spokesman for the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, said poultry, eggs and egg products exported from the province are worth about $22.5 million (US$17.1 million). More than half go to the U.S.
