Confirmed cases highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Ontario, Canada, continue. However, the three most recent cases to be discovered are all in backyard poultry.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published an update on its website on April 5, stating that a sixth flock in Ontario had been confirmed. In this case, it was a backyard flock in the Township of Centre Wellington. These birds, along with all other cases of HPAI in Ontario poultry, were infected with a highly pathogenic H5N1 variant of the virus.
The first three confirmed cases of HPAI in Ontario were all in commercial poultry flocks. Those occurred in the Township of Guelph/Eramosa, the Township of Zorra, and the Township of Woolwich. The Guelph/Eramosa and Zorra cases were both in commercial turkey flocks, but the CFIA has not yet disclosed what species was involved in the Woolwich flock.
The previous two cases in backyard poultry occurred in the Township of Selwyn and the Township of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.
Each infected premise has been placed under quarantine. CFIA has established movement control measures and is recommending enhanced biosecurity for other farms within that area.
The only other Canadian province to have a confirmed HPAI case is Nova Scotia, where one flock of 11,800 commercial turkeys was affected.
Other provinces where HPAI has been confirmed are Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia. However, with the exception of one exhibition farm, all of those cases have been in either backyard flocks or wild birds.
South of the Canadian border, HPAI has been confirmed in commercial poultry in the following U.S. states: North Dakota, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Indiana, North Carolina, Minnesota and Texas. The Texas case involved pheasants.
To learn more about HPAI cases in North American commercial poultry flocks, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.
