October 19, 2007

Canada completes removal of litter from bird-flu infected farm

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, has now completed the removal and burial of litter from the barns of a Saskatchewan poultry farm that had been infected earlier with avian influenza.

The humane depopulation and burial of all birds that had been infected with avian influenza on a Saskatchewan farm was completed October 3, the CFIA said in a release.

The highly pathogenic H7N3 strain of avian influenza was detected in a commercial poultry operation in Saskatchewan on Sept. 27. The virus wasn't the same as the strain circulating in Asia, Africa and Europe, which has been associated with human illness. H7N3 isn't normally associated with serious human illness.

Restrictions on the movement of live birds, bird products and things that may have come in contact with birds remain in place for the entire province of Saskatchewan, the CFIA said. Restrictions also exist on the movement of live birds and bird products within three-kilometre and 10-kilometre regions around the infected farm.

The CFIA said testing also continues on birds within the three-kilometre region and commercial flocks in the 10-kilometre region.

To date, all tests have been negative for the virus, the CFIA said.

The government agency said the movement control restrictions will be removed after testing confirms no further infection is present in area birds.