No active bird flu outbreaks among Canadian poultry, CFIA says

There are no active outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza among Canadian poultry farms, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said today.

In 2024, Canada has seen nine HPAI outbreaks in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

On Oct. 2, the CFIA revoked the last remaining primary control zone around an outbreak associated with a farm in Saskatchewan, an agency spokesperson said in an email. This means that certain conditions have been met on the infected premises, and movement restrictions and permit requirements have been lifted.

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The CFIA can’t declare Canada HPAI-free until the following criteria are met:

• The last HPAI outbreak is reported as closed to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)
• The last primary control zone is revoked
• There are no laboratory results or investigations pending
• Cleaning and disinfection is complete on all previously-infected poultry premises
• The Canadian Notifiable Avian Influenza Surveillance System (CanNAISS) and passive surveillance reports supports freedom
• The WOAH validates a final report

“The criteria has not been met and therefore Canada’s animal health status with the WOAH remains “not free from AI”. Canadians and industry stakeholders will be notified when the above criteria has been met for the HPAI situation to be considered resolved,” the CFIA spokesperson said.

The CFIA encouraged producers to continue to be vigilant.

“The fall migration of wild birds is ongoing and the avian influenza virus continues to circulate in the wild bird population. The CFIA encourages all bird owners to maintain effective biosecurity measures and to report any suspicion of disease to the CFIA,” the spokesperson said.