November 25, 2010
Canadian Manitoba farm confirms case of bird flu
A Canadian turkey at a Manitoba poultry farm was discovered to be infected with a confirmed case of bird flu, according to Canadian media.
Canadian officials testing birds at the farm, just outside Winnipeg, are still trying to determine what strain of flu it is and whether it is the potentially dangerous H5N1 strain, but the flock will have to be destroyed to prevent it from spreading.
Federal officials are trying to trace where the virus came from, by looking at the movement of birds and equipment to and from the farm, said Guy Gravelle, a spokesman from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
"We are doing some further testing to determine the specific subtype and severity of this virus," Gravelle said, adding that it was not likely to be as severe as other cases around the world have been.
"Analysis to-date suggests this is likely a low-pathogenic virus," he said.
Gravelle said it isn't dangerous to eat poultry as long as it's handled and cooked properly. The virus rarely affects humans unless they come into close contact with infected birds.
Still, the news could be disastrous for Canadian poultry farmers.
After the discovery of cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2003, countries around the world closed their borders to Canadian beef and cows.
Officials fear it could lead to a pandemic if it spreads to humans. Last year's H1N1 pandemic originated from a pig in Mexico.
Transmission of the H5N1 strain to humans is thought to happen through direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. Exposure is most likely during slaughter, de-feathering, butchering, and preparing it for cooking.
There have been 302 reported deaths around the world since 2003 and 20 deaths out of 40 reported cases so far this year, according to the World Health Organization.
The most effective way of limiting the bug's spread is to kill all infected or exposed birds and disinfect the farms.
