Canada Depopulates Fraser Valley Flocks

OTTAWA - Mar 24/04 - SNS -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will depopulate all remaining flocks in the high-risk region of British Columbia’s Fraser Valley because of the detection of avian influenza on two more farms in the region.

Approximately 275,000 birds will be destroyed and removed from 10 farms and 33 smaller flocks. All owners of birds depopulated will be compensated under the Health of Animals Act. Household pet birds are not being targeted for destruction, unless they show signs of disease.

The depopulation is intended to contain further disease spread by eliminating the pool of infection and susceptible birds present in the high-risk region. The CFIA is working with provincial counterparts to address outstanding issues related to biosecurity, transportation and disposal. Activities will commence as soon as these discussions are complete.

All birds will be disposed of in accordance with provincial environmental regulations and internationally accepted disease control guidelines. The CFIA will continue to sample birds from flocks to be destroyed to gain additional information about the virus and the extent of spread within the high-risk region.

Bringing the spread of avian influenza to a halt is a priority for the Government of Canada. All required resources are being made available to aggressively protect the health of British Columbia’s poultry industry.

To date, there has been no detected infection in poultry beyond the high-risk region. However, because the disease can be carried by wild birds, the possibility of finding the disease outside this area cannot be excluded. To monitor this risk, the CFIA is intensifying its surveillance activities, which include daily pickup and sampling of dead birds, in the area surrounding the high-risk region. Any premises where avian influenza infection is suspected–based on high mortality rates or potential exposure to the virus–will be investigated.

The regional depopulation of animals in response to contagious diseases such as avian influenza reflects internationally accepted animal disease management strategies. Existing poultry and poultry product movement restrictions and biosecurity control measures, which have been in place in the Fraser Valley area since March 11, 2004, will be re-assessed as more information becomes available through surveillance and testing.

The risk to human health remains low. The H7 virus confirmed on the B.C. farms has never been shown to affect humans and is not the same virus which currently exists in Asia. As a precaution, local health authorities have initiated an investigation to assess the health of people exposed to poultry in the high-risk region.

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