November 29, 2010

 

Canadian Manitoba farm's bird-flu confirmed as low-risk outbreak

 

 

An outbreak of bird flu at a Canadian commercial turkey operation north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been confirmed as the low-risk H5N2 avian influenza strain.

 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesman Dr. Rick James-Davies said three other Manitoba locations, a hatchery and two other poultry farms, are now under quarantine as a precautionary measure to make sure the virus has not spread.

 

James-Davies said the outbreak has been mild in comparison to other outbreaks in Canada and appears to be isolated to one operation. No birds have died.

 

"We see no clinical illness on any other farm here in Manitoba," he said.

 

The turkey breeder farm in the RM of Rockwood that produces eggs for hatcheries was quarantined Tuesday (Nov 23) when a number of the birds tested positive for H5 avian influenza, the first outbreak of its kind in the province.

 

The operation's 8,200 birds will be destroyed, likely within the next few days.

 

James-Davies and other officials said no one who worked with or came into contact with the turkeys has fallen ill.

 

They also said the avian flu does not pose a risk to food safety if poultry is properly handled and cooked. None of the sick birds entered the food supply.

 

"It's OK to eat turkey," chief provincial public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner said. "It's OK to work in places where turkey and other poultry in Manitoba may exist and this doesn't pose an increased risk for influenza in public settings."

 

Health officials also stressed there is no risk to people as the avian flu is not the Asian strain of the potentially lethal H5N1 influenza. About 300 people have died in Asia since 2003 because of an H5N1 outbreak.

 

The outbreak first hit the radar screen on November 18 when the producer noticed a number of turkeys were not laying eggs or eating. A poultry veterinarian was contacted and some of the birds were tested with samples sent to the provincial veterinary lab the next day. The results came in on Tuesday (Nov 23) showing it was H5 influenza and the operation was immediately quarantined. Winnipeg's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease also tested samples.

 

Manitoba chief veterinary officer Dr. Wayne Lees said the speed with which the virus was detected and contained demonstrates how well authorities respond to outbreaks.

 

"We expect that things will go very well from here on in," he said.

 

The outbreak is the fifth in Canada since 2004 when one in British Columbia forced the destruction of flocks on 1,000 commercial and backyard farms. There have been two other smaller outbreaks, one in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan.

 

How the Manitoba flock was infected is still under investigation, but one theory is wild ducks or geese, which naturally carry the virus, had transferred the virus to the turkeys during the recent fall migration.