Alberta has more confirmed cases of bird flu than any other province, according to data collected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
As of Tuesday, the CFIA has listed 23 flocks in Alberta where bird flu has been found, compared to 21 in Ontario, seven in Saskatchewan and just one in Manitoba.
Alberta also has more birds affected by bird flu than any other province, with the latest CFIA figures showing that about 600,000 birds are affected.
Estimates of the estimated number of birds affected are updated every Thursday, and Alberta’s high score will inevitably skyrocket during the next update, as bird flu has been detected in at least four other flocks since the last one.
Across Canada, each province – with the exception of PEI – had at least one domestic herd infection, resulting in approximately 1,372,400 birds that were euthanized, affecting 58 farms.
Farm east of Deedsbury, Alta. identified by the CFIA as confirmed cases of bird flu.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BIRD FLU IS DETECTED?
The CFIA usually takes control of the farm, placing restrictions on who can come and go from the property and quarantining it. CFIA staff and contractors then come to “depopulate” the birds – suffocating them with carbon dioxide or, in some cases, special water-soluble foam.
Farmers are not responsible for the euthanasia of birds, and the CFIA also organizes and pays for corpses to be buried, composted or burned.
But manufacturers are on the hook for the cleaning costs associated with washing barns and disinfecting them, along with tools and equipment that may have been in contact with infected birds.
There is compensation for the loss of individual animals at market prices.
Cleaning is underway near Linden, Alta. after the discovery of bird flu. Affected farmers contacted by CTV News declined to comment on their experience, sending inquiries to chicken producers in Alberta and egg producers in Alberta. Both associations say interviews are not possible at this time.
Avian influenza is usually transmitted by wild migratory birds, especially waterfowl. According to Alberta’s wildlife specialist, Dr. Margot Pibus, this year the infections appear to be more common and cause more severe symptoms, including disorientation and shaking of the head.
Wild birds usually show no signs of infection. The epidemic is expected to subside when the migration ends in June.
The CFIA says bird flu is not a food safety issue and there is no evidence to suggest that eating boiled poultry or eggs can transmit it to humans.
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