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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.
<o:p> </o:p> NEW $14M LAB PROTECTS ANIMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>
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ABBOTSFORD – British Columbians are now better protected from the impact of future animal disease outbreaks, Agriculture and Lands Minister Stan Hagen announced today at the official opening of the Province’s new $14-million Containment Level 3 laboratory in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Valley</st1:placename></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Public safety is a top priority for our government,” said <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hagen</st1:place></st1:city>. “Having a Containment Level 3 lab in B.C. ensures we are fully prepared to identify and respond to incidents of animal disease faster and more efficiently. This proactive step benefits animals, industry and the public.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> A Containment Level 3 (CL3) lab provides a controlled environment where samples containing potential diseases can be safely studied and analyzed.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Built as an addition to the existing Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford, the newly constructed CL3 laboratory is the only facility of its kind in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> associated with a provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory. The new lab allows:<o:p></o:p>
Laboratory scientists to respond faster to each specific disease threat through detailed characterization of disease-causing agents.<o:p></o:p>
Time and money saved by minimizing the number of samples sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s lab in Winnipeg in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak.<o:p></o:p>
Samples to be safely moved from the existing CL2 lab to the more secure CL3 lab for further testing on-site.<o:p></o:p>
Additional protection for laboratory workers from diseases that may infect people as well as animals.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p> Some of the physical features of the laboratory include advanced air-filtration and waste handling systems, break-resistant glass, decontamination facilities and a sealed continuous containment barrier. Such strict measures are designed to ensure that there are multiple layers reinforcing each other so that no disease-causing agents can escape into the environment.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> B.C. Agriculture Council chair Garnet Etsell is pleased to see the Province’s diagnostic capabilities expand. “This new laboratory will help ensure B.C.’s producers have access to some of the best animal health diagnostic services in the country. This CL3 lab will help the agriculture industry ensure our products are healthy and safe,” said Etsell. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Construction of the CL3 lab began in December 2006 and was completed in October 2008 with funding from the 2006 provincial budget. The project was targeted at $14.5 million and has been completed under budget at $14 million. The current laboratory facility is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) as a full-service diagnostic laboratory, one of only two laboratories in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> to achieve this distinction. The new CL3 laboratory is being commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and is expected to be fully operational in early 2009. <o:p></o:p>
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<o:p> </o:p> HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH PROTECTED AT NEW CL3 LAB<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>
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Construction has now been completed on a new $14 million Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratory in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Valley</st1:placename></st1:place>. The CL3 Laboratory includes the following features:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Additional testing capability from CL3:<o:p></o:p> ? Faster and more accurate identification and characterization of animal and human health threats including threats from Foreign Animal Diseases.<o:p></o:p> ? Increased level of preparedness for newly emerging diseases.<o:p></o:p> ? Enhanced protection of laboratory workers from diseases capable of transmission from animals to people.<o:p></o:p> ? Prevention of reintroduction of disease agents back into the environment.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> CL3 Laboratory will be used to identify and characterize animal diseases, including:<o:p></o:p> ? Avian Influenza.<o:p></o:p> ? Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease.<o:p></o:p> ? <st1:place w:st="on">West Nile</st1:place> Virus.<o:p></o:p> ? Foreign Animal Diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.<o:p></o:p> ? Significant disease-causing agents that could be transmitted from animals to people.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Construction details:<o:p></o:p> ? Laboratory completed $500,000 under budget for a total cost of $14 million. <o:p></o:p> ? Construction began in December 2006 and was completed in October 2008.<o:p></o:p> ? The CL3 laboratory is an addition to the existing Animal Health Centre.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Security features:<o:p></o:p> ? Extremely stringent air filtration and waste handling systems; break-resistant glass; multiple levels of reinforcement; and biosecurity, among other safeguards, to prevent the dispersion of pathogens.<o:p></o:p> ? All material and equipment must be decontaminated before leaving the lab.<o:p></o:p> ? Sealed continuous containment barrier.<o:p></o:p> ? Pressure-controlled airtight dampers.<o:p></o:p> ? Cameras mounted in critical areas for safety and security.<o:p></o:p>
Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza
Jan 24, 2009 16:00 ET
<!-- TIMESTAMP END --> <!-- HEADLINES BEGIN --> CFIA: Avian Influenza Detected in British Columbia
<!-- HEADLINES END --> <!-- RELEASE BODY BEGINS --> OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 24, 2009) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza virus in a commercial poultry operation in southern British Columbia.
Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the illness caused in birds. Tests to date indicate that the strain of AI in this case is low pathogenic. Further testing is underway to confirm pathogenicity and to determine the precise subtype and strain of the virus.
Avian influenza viruses do not pose risks to food safety when poultry and poultry products are properly handled and cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans, unless they have had close contact with infected birds. Nevertheless, public health authorities will take precautionary measures as warranted.
All birds on the infected premises will be humanely euthanized and disposed of, in accordance with provincial environmental regulations and internationally accepted disease control guidelines. Once all birds have been removed, the CFIA will oversee the cleaning and disinfection of the barns, vehicles, equipment and tools to eliminate any infectious material that may remain.
In order to limit any potential virus spread, the CFIA is applying restrictions on the movement of poultry and poultry products within three kilometres of the infected premises. The CFIA is relying on all backyard poultry owners to monitor their flocks and immediately report sick or dead birds. Poultry owners are urged to take an active role in protecting their flocks by employing strict biosecurity measures on their property.
The CFIA is investigating any recent movement of birds, bird products and equipment onto and off of the infected property.
Animal health and public health authorities from the Province of B.C., local poultry specialists and industry are actively collaborating in this response effort. The CFIA is conducting a thorough epidemiological investigation of the premises. A shared commitment by all involved has maximized the Agency's ability to contain and eliminate this situation as quickly as possible.
The CFIA is notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and international trading partners of this situation.
New information will be provided to the public as it becomes available.
GlobeNewswire specializes in the distribution and delivery of press releases, financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media and general public.
Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza
So this looks like it is approximately 5 miles from the USA border. Is there any extra precaution on the US side? Do workers mix borders in the area? I looked at the web page for the Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html
assuming it is the regional newspaper for the area, but I did not see any mention of the story.
Thought has a dual purpose in ethics: to affirm life, and to lead from ethical impulses to a rational course of action - Teaching Reverence for Life -Albert Schweitzer. JT
Re: B.C. poultry farms quarantined by suspected outbreak of avian influenza
Jan 24, 2009 15:04 ET
<!-- TIMESTAMP END --> <!-- HEADLINES BEGIN --> Media Advisory: CFIA/Attention: Assignment Editors
<!-- HEADLINES END --> <!-- RELEASE BODY BEGINS --> ABBOTSFORD, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 24, 2009) - Federal and provincial officials will provide an update for media on the investigation into an animal disease detection in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia.
Representatives of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, and Fraser Health will be on hand to provide information during the news conference.
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A teleconference line will also be available. Participants should begin calling 10 minutes prior to the news conference start time and ask for the "Fraser Valley Animal Disease Investigation News Conference".
GlobeNewswire specializes in the distribution and delivery of press releases, financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media and general public.
Fatal H5 Infections on Canadian Turkey Farm Raise Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 16:55
January 24, 2009
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.
The above comments on the H5 outbreak in British Columbia increase concerns that the outbreak is due to H5N1. Although H5N1 frequently causes rapid and dramatic increases in bird mortality, some birds, such as waterfowl, can have asymptomatic H5N1 infections.
H5N1 pathogenicity is linked to a polybasic HA cleavage site and early mortality in experimental chickens. HPAI failures to lead to more symptoms in waterfowl are frequently linked to prior exposure of the waterfowl to low path H5, which creates cross reactive immunity. Media reports have indicated the turkeys have H5 antibodies.
H5 has been widespread in North America in recent years, so terrestrial poultry, such as the turkeys at the above farm could have immunity that would produce mortalities that were “slightly elevated”. Most would be asymptomatic or have some respiratory distress. The clade 2.2 (Qinghai) strain of H5N1 is largely limited to the upper respiratory in waterfowl, but produces fatal infections in naïve hosts, including humans.
More information on the delayed H5 analysis, such as the sequence of the HA cleavage site, or size of the HA or NA insert, would be useful.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed an H5 avian influenza outbreak on a turkey farm in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.
CFIA says the strain in this case is of low pathogenicity, and further tests will be done to determine the precise subtype and stain of the virus.
Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the bird's illness.
All birds on the farm will be humanely euthanized, the CFIA said in a news release. Afterwards, the organization will oversea the cleaning and disinfection of the farm.
Several other farms in a three-kilometre radius of the infected farm have been quarantined.
Avian viruses are not a risk to food safety providing poultry products are properly cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans, unless they have been in close contact with the infected birds, the CFIA says.
Agency spokesperson Monika Mazur told The Canadian Press Friday that the farm had about 50,000 turkeys.
CFIA is notifying the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health of the incident as per regulations.
There are multiple subtypes of the H5 avian flu. In 2005, the Fraser Valley suffered an outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza.
In Feb. 2004, 17 million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley following an outbreak of H7N3, a different subtype of avian influenza.
Seventeen million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in February 2004 following an outbreak of H7N3, a different avian influenza subtype.
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