Poultry biosecurity notches down

Declining risk factors for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have prompted the BC Poultry Association to lower the industry’s biosecurity threat level from red to yellow.

The decision, taken last week, is effective immediately.

“While BC is no longer in an active outbreak that mandates a red-level response, risk remains elevated,” the association said in a statement to industry.

A key factor in the decision was the lack of positive HPAI test results from the province’s wild bird testing program.

While migratory birds remain present in the province, traces of HPAI are scarce and neighbouring jurisdictions, including Alberta and Washington, are also experiencing lower instances of infections.

The lower biosecurity level also reflects the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) rescinding the remaining primary control zones declared around infected premises on January 27 and instead maintaining security zones and conducting post-outbreak surveillance.

Since last fall, the industry has used biosecurity levels to signal the threat level in the environment rather than a need to change on-farm practices. However, specific protocols remain associated with each biosecurity level.

Yellow, for example, requires farms to welcome essential visitors only, closely monitor flock health and clean and disinfect traffic and access points after each egg pick-up.

“Five years ago, it would change what biosecurity levels you do on your farm,” BC Chicken Growers Association president Brad Driediger told Country Life in BC last fall. “[Today] I don’t think anyone, whether it’s red, yellow or green, changes their biosecurity practices.”

Strong biosecurity helped limit this winter’s case load to just 38 and 1.25 million birds impacted, compared with 81 premises last winter affecting 2.7 million birds. The last commercial case was in Abbotsford on December 19.

“Farmers are doing an excellent job,” BC Chicken Marketing Board executive director Woody Siemens said at the end of last year. “It’s evidenced by how many fewer cases we’ve had.”