March 22, 2004

 

 

Canada Poultry Industry Feeling Bird Flu Effects

  

Canada's poultry industry in British Colombia are feeling the effects of bird flu outbreaks in two farms.

 

Despite the outbreak having been contained following the culling of infected flocks, the CFIA still has not identified the source of the problem. This is troubling to both producers and the processing sector.

 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency official Dr. Con Kiley said tests have been carried out on 15 farms in the five-kilometre quarantine area in Matsqui and no further evidence of bird flu has been found on any of the farms. The outbreak has been confined to two farms, the Loewen Acres farm and the Fraserbridge farm.

 

Thirty-two countries have now closed their borders to Canadian chicken and egg imports, including the U.S. Some of the countries, including Mexico have closed their borders to B.C. chicken and egg imports only.

 

To protect the domestic market, federal Agriculture Minister Bob Speller put in place a control zone which covers all of the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland, but not Vancouver Island or the Okanagan. The control zone remains in effect for 21 days after the infection has been cleared up.

 

Meanwhile, CFIA officials report the second outbreak of bird flu in the Matsqui area is believed to be the highly pathogenic form of the H7N3 virus. Like its low- pathogenic cousin, it is not a risk to human health.

 

Asked what the difference was between low and high pathogenicity, a CFIA official said the high pathogenic form is considered a "reportable disease" and automatically triggers a set of standards to deal with the outbreak. It is more prone to attacking embryos, or young chicks.

 

Getting the domestic market re- established, which has virtually closed down the breaker market for eggs, is of paramount importance to the egg industry.

 

"Re-establishing the market ... and removal of export and domestic restrictions are our priorities right now," said B.C. Egg Marketing Board general manager Peter Whitlock.

 

Whitlock also said that the U.S. is giving consideration to allowing pasteurized product to enter the U.S. market. "If they were to allow that, it would make a big difference to our breaker market."