Canada - LPAI H5 Confirmed on 2nd Turkey Farm

[Treyfish]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Fraser Valley farms quarantined over fears of avian flu

Last Updated: Friday, January 23, 2009 | 2:12 PM PT Comments36Recommend46

CBC News


Several Abbotsford poultry farms were under a quarantine on Friday after a suspected outbreak of avian influenza was detected on a turkey farm. (CBC) A possible outbreak of avian influenza has left several poultry farms in B.C.'s Fraser Valley under quarantine as officials conduct further tests.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency imposed the quarantine on an undisclosed number of farms within a one- to three-kilometre radius of a turkey producer in Abbotsford, B.C., according to the president of the B.C. Poultry Association, Ray Nickel.
Avian influenza antibodies have been found in some 12-week-old turkeys, but testing is still underway to determine whether they have the virus and what strain of it might be involved, said Nickel.
"It is unconfirmed at this point as to what type it is," he said. "It appears to be a low [pathogenic strain] because of the on-farm situation — low mortality and that sort of thing."
Seventeen million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in February 2004 following an outbreak of the H7N3 version of the disease, a different strain from deadly H5N1 version linked to deaths and illnesses in Southeast Asia, China, Russia and Europe.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...bbotsford.html

[Treyfish]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Bird flu returns to Fraser Valley

By Crawford Kilian January 23, 2009 08:55 am
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A still-unidentified strain of bird flu has been found on an Abbotsford turkey farm. It?s not the first time, but it could be the most serious outbreak since the mass culling of 17 million Fraser Valley birds in 2004.
A spokesperson for the industry, speaking on CBC radio?s Early Edition, said the virus is probably a low-pathogenic strain.
The 2004 avian flu outbreak was H7N3, a strain that is rarely dangerous to humans.
Only low-path H5N1 has ever been identified in North America. The high-pathogenic strain has devastated Asian, African and European poultry industries since 2003, and infecting 399 humans. According to the World Health Organization, 251 of those cases have been fatal.
A report by CTV.ca provides a few early details about the Abbotsford outbreak.
Crawford Kilian, a contributing editor of The Tyee, blogs about avian flu at H5N1.http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Food...01/23/BirdFlu/

[Treyfish]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Up to 60,000 turkeys to be culled after Abbotsford avian flu outbreak





By Amy O'Brian,
Vancouver SunJ,anuary 23, 2009 6:14 PM




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More Images &#187;


E & H Farms, a turkey farm near Abbotsford.

Photograph by: Jean Konda-Witte, Abbotsford-Mission Times




METRO VANCOUVER - Up to 60,000 turkeys on a farm near Abbotsford will be culled and their bodies likely composted due to an outbreak of avian flu.
Initial testing has shown birds at E & H Farms are carrying avian flu, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is awaiting final confirmation from a lab in Winnipeg.
“At this point in time, while we’re waiting for the test, we are making plans for how we will destroy the birds and how we will dispose of the carcasses,” said Sandra Stephens, a disease control specialist with the C.F.I.A.
“We want to be prepared to be able to act very, very quickly once we receive the final word from the lab.”
In an effort to contain the virus, 22 commercial farms in a three-kilometre radius surrounding E & H Farms have been under quarantine since the virus was initially detected Wednesday night. The quarantine means poultry products cannot leave a farm until they have been tested and show no signs of the avian flu.
The quarantine will remain in effect for three weeks after the turkeys are culled, Stephens said.
The initial test, which was conducted at a lab in Abbotsford, was prompted when a worker noticed the birds seemed to be suffering from some sort of respiratory distress.
Mortality among the birds in the two barns at the farm has been normal to “perhaps slightly elevated,” Stephens said.

Initial tests show the virus is an H5 strain, which is an indication it could become highly pathogenic, similar to the H5N1 virus that has killed more than 250 people worldwide. But Stephens said there has been no evidence to suggest it is an unusually dangerous form of the virus.
[i]“It’s possible that we could have an H5N1, but it would appear, just by the way this virus is acting, that it’s not a highly pathogenic form, so it wouldn’t be the Asian strain,” she said. There are 16 different H-types of the virus, but it is the H5 and the H7 types that can quickly change from a low pathogenic form to a highly pathogenic form, Stephens said.
Dr. Perry Kendall, provincial health officer, said there is no risk to public health at this time. He said one worker at the turkey farm has possibly been affected by contact with the birds, but measures are in place to ensure the health and safety of anyone else who might come in contact with an infected bird.
“We’ve got rapid communication and if we need to, we can very quickly get out and assess who might be at risk,” Kendall said. “We have protocols in place for the protection that we think is needed for the people who would be exposed if they did a cull.”
Those who come in direct contact with the infected birds will have to take a course of anti-viral drugs as a precaution.
“The risk is really remote that the avian influenza would move to humans or infect a human,” he said.
During the avian flu outbreak of 2004, the virus was never detected in a human, but more than 17 million birds were culled, making it the largest animal cull in Canadian history. Most of the carcasses were composted and Stephens said composting is still the preferred method of disposal.
Kendall said the Asian strain of the virus has never been detected in North America. He said there has been thorough testing and surveillance of both farm fowl and wild birds, which are also known to carry the virus.
Calvin Breukelman, chair of the B.C. Poultry Association’s biosecurity committee, said an emergency response team coordinated by the poultry industry was mobilized Friday morning.
Since the 2004 outbreak, he said farmers have been working closely with the C.F.I.A. to enhance biosecurity and communication.
Despite all the precautionary measures, Breukelman said the local poultry industry is concerned whenever it hears of a possible outbreak of avian flu.
“Of course we’re concerned,” he said. “We want to be able to ensure, first of all that if it is on this farm, that we deal with it effectively and prevent it from spreading any further. That’s the number-one priority for us.
“We’re all hoping for the best with this thing, but if we do get the news that it’s a positive flock, then we’ll have to go in and deal with it accordingly. We just hope that everything’s going to turn out fine.”
Liz Bicknell, spokeswoman with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, said the farm in question has been diligent about biosecurity.
"This particular farm we're dealing with right now, their biosecurity measures are impeccable — they are very, very high," Bicknell saidhttp://www.vancouversun.com/Health/t...181/story.html

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

H5 and dead turkeys is a bad combo

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Ducks can be asymptomatic, largely because they have H5 antibodies. There is a lot of low path H5 flying around Canada, and at least one report said the turkeys had antibodies, so high path H5N1 would not necessarily cause a large number of deaths.

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home

Early tests suggests possible bird flu outbreak on B.C. farm




The initial testing was done after turkeys on a 50,000 bird farm showed signs of respiratory distress.

Well into the too large to fail category.

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Confrmation delays increase concerns.

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01240902/H5_Turkeys_BC.html

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home

If the Winnipeg lab confirms the presence of H5 viruses,

PEI Re-run?

[sharon sanders]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Confrmation delays increase concerns.

It is the weekend. I do not think we will hear anything until Monday.

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

It is the weekend. I do not think we will hear anything until Monday.

Saturday results are common (especially when the news is bad like the latest death in China).

[Diane Morin]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Then they could to say that the results will be known Monday. There is nothing. It is very disappointing on behalf of Canada.

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Analysis underway to determine possible B.C. outbreak of avian flu: CFIA

Last Updated: Friday, January 23, 2009 | 8:27 PM PT

Several Abbotsford poultry farms were under a precautionary quarantine on Friday after a suspected outbreak of avian influenza was detected on a commercial turkey farm. (CBC) Lab tests confirmed the presence of the H5 strain of avian influenza in a Fraser Valley turkey farm Friday as health officials continued the quarantine of all poultry farms within three kilometres of the property.
Blood work revealed bird flu antibodies in some 12-week-old birds, and a detailed genetic analysis is underway to determine the potential danger of an outbreak, said Sandra Stephens, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The initial testing was done after some of the 50,000 turkeys on the E&H Farms in Abbotsford showed signs of respiratory distress.

"Right now, we are in the process of planning for the destruction, planning for the disposal, getting all the premises identified in the area, determining what birds they have … and what type of surveillance we will need to do on those other farms that are under quarantine," Stephens told CBC News.

Sandra Stephens, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, says a detailed genetic analysis is underway to determine the potential danger of an avian flu outbreak. (CBC) Twenty-three other farms within a three-kilometre radius are under a precautionary quarantine until the agency determines the subtype of H5 that has made the birds sick, and whether the virus is of high or low pathogenicity.

The B.C. Poultry Association said Friday there were some health issues among some turkeys at the commercial farm recently.
"There was some minor respiratory problems … so there were some producers being proactive and trying to find out what the issue was," association spokesman Calvin Breukelman told said.

Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said the risk to human health is negligible even if an outbreak is confirmed.

"In terms of the general public, the risk either way is about as close to zero as you can get. Our concern would focus on making sure that anyone having direct exposure with avian influenza is well protected," Skowronski said.
Seventeen million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in February 2004 following an outbreak of the H7N3 version of the disease, a different strain from deadly H5N1 version linked to nearly 250 deaths and other illnesses in Southeast Asia, China, Russia and Europe.

The presence of H5 virus in the Fraser Valley turkeys does not mean there is an outbreak of the H5N1 virus, Skowronski said, and there are multiple subtypes of H5 avian flu.
<CITE class=source>With files from the Canadian Press</CITE>
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Story comments (55)

Truth Seeker wrote:Posted 2009/01/24
at 2:37 PM ...........
It would be great to be a fly on the wall when the two meet and discuss matters concerning our two countries.
Over a Pepsi so to speak!
Recommendthis commentRecommend this comment Report abuse

TerriRobson wrote:Posted 2009/01/24
at 12:33 AM ETSo will this report be as long in coming back to the population as the one CFIA did for listeriosis?????????
1Personrecommendedthis comment1Recommend this comment Report abuse

Truth Seeker wrote:Posted 2009/01/24
at 12:20 AM ETpennylane wrote:
Our lab here in Regina Prairie Diagnostic Services is closing in March in order to save money. This facility which tests for such things as avian flu is needed none more than ever.

Another "conservative' move!
4Peoplerecommendedthis comment4Recommend this comment Report abuse

LoranHayden wrote:Posted 2009/01/24
at 12:19 AM ETI've posted my opinion of your opinions in another forum, voice of reason....To those who don't know you can click on the name of the poster and see his/her history of posts
1Personrecommendedthis comment1Recommend this comment Report abuse

LoranHayden wrote:Posted 2009/01/24
at 12:01 AM ETvoice of reason: protein is protein - get over it.
1Personrecommendedthis comment1Recommend this comment Report abuse

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Expert warned two years ago of bird flu danger near time of 2010 Olympics



Farmers didn't take security seriously, he says



By Chad Skelton, Vancouver SunJanuary 24, 2009 11:01




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E & H Farms, a turkey farm near Abbotsford.

Photograph by: Jean Konda-Witte, Abbotsford-Mission Times




An official with B.C.’s Agriculture Ministry warned the poultry industry two years ago that if farmers didn’t take biosecurity measures more seriously the province could face a bird-flu outbreak within months of the 2010 Olympics, something he said would be a “political disaster.”
The warning is contained in a January 2007 e-mail — obtained by The Vancouver Sun through the Freedom of Information Act — from Stewart Paulson, a poultry industry specialist with the government, to Calvin Breukelman, then chair of the BC Poultry Association’s biosecurity committee.
In the e-mail, Paulson expressed frustration that some Fraser Valley poultry farmers still weren’t keeping the gates on their farms closed at all times — a measure intended to reduce foot and vehicle traffic, which can spread infection from one farm to another.
“In a few years we are going to have a major event in the province that B.C./Canada has invested billions to bring about,” Paulson stated in the e-mail. “If this province broke with AI [avian influenza] within six months of this event it would be a political disaster for the B.C. poultry industry. When the farmers drive through those gates, and are deciding whether it is worth stopping and closing those gates, they need to think of those consequences.”
In an interview Friday, Breukelman acknowledged some farmers thought the new gate rules were “a bit of a nuisance”, as they had to get out of their tractors several times a day to open and close them.
However, Breukelman said most farmers have since become used to the idea, while others have installed electric gates that open and close automatically.
In 2004, a massive bird-flu outbreak in the Fraser Valley led to the culling of 17 million birds.
In response, the government and poultry producers began developing mandatory biosecurity rules for farmers, such as keeping gates closed at all times and changing their footwear before entering or exiting a barn.
All poultry producers in the province were supposed to be following the new rules by the start of 2007. However, by mid-2007, fewer than 15 per cent had been certified as complying.
Ron Lewis, B.C.’s chief veterinarian, said Friday that well over 90 per cent of all poultry farms have now been biosecurity certified, and those that remain only have minor problems left to fix.
“It’s taken a long time to get here ... but we’ve got pretty full compliance now,” he said.
Breukelman said poultry farmers have received the message that biosecurity is important.
“Initially, we had some push back on it, but for the most part it’s been well received,” he said. “You might have some farmers that get grumpy about it. But, at the end of the day, it’s all about disease mitigation — and they’re all in favour of that.”
cskelton@vancouversun.com

http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Expert+warned+years+bird+danger+near+time+2010+Olympics/1214411/story.html

[HenryN]

Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza

Testing for avian flu on Abbotsford farm


By Joe Millican - Abbotsford News

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<!--endclickprintexclude-->Several Abbotsford farms were under quarantine yesterday, as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigated a possible outbreak of avian influenza.
The results of those tests were not known as of press deadline yesterday (Friday), as the quarantine remained on all farms within a three kilometre radius of the turkeys that were being tested.
The tests were reportedly ordered after antibodies for avian flu were found in some 12-week-old turkeys at E & H Farms, on Lefeuvre Road.
CFIA spokesperson Monika Mazur said yesterday morning that the results from the tests may have been known as early as last night.
At that point, Mazur said the CFIA would know whether there was a positive for avian flu. The exact strain of the disease would take longer to determine, she added.
?If we do confirm a positive, we will then investigate where it may have spread to,? she said.
?It should be remembered that human illness is very rare, unless you have been in very close contact [with the birds].?
The affected farm, she said, has 50,000 turkeys.
Ron Lewis, Chief Veterinarian of B.C. and Director of the Animal Health Branch, confirmed that tests for avian flu were conducted at Abbotsford?s new Containment Level 3 lab on Thursday.
Those results were then sent to the CFIA in Winnipeg, said Lewis, adding that the CFIA is the ?lead agency? and has to be the first to confirm all Canadian avian flu outbreaks.
If avian flu is confirmed, Lewis said all future tests can then be completed in Abbotsford rather than in Winnipeg.
?We are working with them [the CFIA] very closely,? he added.
Seventeen million poultry were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in 2004, due to an outbreak of the H7N3 strain of the avian flu.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/38242144.html