The turn of the year brought a positive turn of events in the BC poultry sector’s battle against highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Two primary control zones (PCZs) in the province were revoked by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, including one in Langley on January 5 and second in the District of Kent on January …
CFIA
Avian influenza grows
The number of BC farms testing positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza surged over the past week, with the Canada Food Inspection Agency confirming six farms on November 7. The cases, which affected all commercial feather groups, including ducks, follow two positive results announced November 4 as well as a case on November 2. …
Federal funding for AI response
Several concerns of the BC poultry sector regarding the handling of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreak last year were addressed this week by a federal commitment of $1.8 million. Delivered over three years, the funding will support the BC Poultry Association’s preparation for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks. “The poultry industry …
Livestock health in spotlight
The health of Canada’s livestock took centre stage as federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture emerged from their annual meeting in Fredericton last week. During the closing press conference where ministers summarized their work, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the establishment of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank. The most recent federal budget …
Avian influenza returns
Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials have detected highly pathogenic avian influenza at a pigeon farm in Chilliwack, one week after revoking the last primary control zone established to control the disease’s spread among commercial operations in the Fraser Valley last fall. The detection was announced April 29, and came seven days after three primary control …
AI outbreak rivals 2004
The scale of this year’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza now rivals the massive outbreak of 2004 that saw farms throughout the Fraser Valley depopulated. An additional 13 commercial farms have been infected over the past week, putting the number of commercial premises impacted since mid-November at 42, the same number as was infected …