Three new cases of bird flu in B.C. poultry

British Columbia has three new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among commercial poultry flocks in the Abbotsford and Chilliwack areas.

The cases were confirmed yesterday according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) website, bringing the total number of cases identified this year to 24.

Canadian poultry flocks were briefly free of active HPAI cases. 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 yesterday.

This means that certain conditions had been met on the infected premises, and movement restrictions and permit requirements had been lifted.

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.