The highly pathogenic strain of bird flu that keeps Britain’s Columbia poultry industry on the alert has now been found in two other poultry flocks in the province, this time in Richmond and Kelowna.
The two newest sites were identified on May 3, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and both are small herds. The infected premises are already under quarantine.
A total of four small poultry flocks and one commercial poultry farm tested positive in the province.
The virus also affects many wild birds, according to the Metro Vancouver Rehabilitation Center.
General Manager Rob Hope of the Delta Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation Society said he had recently seen about four positive cases, as well as six that were considered suspicious. They saw their first positive case in March.
Most of the affected birds are eagles, and the few that have survived so far are kept in separate quarantine from other birds that live in the facility. Hope said there had been a previous case of H5N1 in a Cooper hawk and a suspected case of a stray falcon.
“We get them mostly from the local areas here, Delta, Vancouver. “We had a positive from Bowen Island,” he said. “Unfortunately, the death rate is quite high and is within 24 hours.”
The society has also set up a tent for inspection from the outside, with disinfectant foot washing for those entering. When a suspicious case arrives, swabs are taken and sent for examination. The dead birds are stored in a freezer and will also be sent for further analysis.
Hope said that in a bird of prey, the symptoms of the virus can manifest as neurological signs such as “star gazing” where the bird looks up, as well as dull, swollen eyes and a swollen face.
“If anyone comes across a bird of prey that they think may have bird flu, please call us,” Hope said, adding that they still want to hear from people who find injured birds.
“We are determined to deal with those who are positive, but there will be many who are not positive but are injured or orphaned and also need our help.”
Warning: The following video shows an eagle suffering from bird flu and may disturb some viewers.
Surviving quarantined birds will be kept isolated for 30 days and then retested.
“There is a chance (for survival), but the long-term effects are something else we are not sure about,” Hope said. “If they are negative, then we can continue rehabilitation.”
There are also fears that the virus could be transmitted from adult birds to young in the nest through the consumption of infected waterfowl.
Although the virus is not thought to pose a significant risk to humans in general, volunteers caring for birds also take extra precautions.
“Over the last three days, I’ve spent $ 1,500 on PPE (personal protective equipment), from dresses to fungicides, viruses,” Hope said. “We are currently looking for donations from PPE, whether they are dresses, masks, boots and money. This will not disappear soon and we will have a long way to go.
People can also report any discoveries of dead wild birds on the Wild Bird Network at 1-866-431-BIRD.
The first flock of poultry in British Columbia with confirmed positive cases was a poultry trade operation in North Okanagan on 13 April. On April 25, the virus was found in a small flock of birds other than poultry in Kelowna, and then two days later in a small flock of poultry in the Kutenai area.
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