New cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continue to be confirmed in Canada, with Alberta being the latest province to be affected.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that three poultry flocks in Alberta had been affected. Two of those flocks were in Mountain View County, while the third was in Ponoka County.
Each infected premises has been placed under quarantine. CFIA is investigating the situation and will be establishing movement control measures on other farms within that area.
CFIA did not offer information in its report regarding the size of the flocks or the species involved. It also didn’t directly specify whether it was in a commercial flock or a backyard flock.
With these confirmed cases, Alberta becomes the eighth Canadian province where H5N1 avian influenza has been detected, but only the second province in western Canada. The only other case in the western part of the country was in a wild bald eagle in British Columbia.
The other provinces to have confirmed cases are Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and New Brunswick.
However, it has only been reported in commercial poultry in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Avian influenza situation in Ontario
CFIA has also reported four new cases of HPAI in Ontario. Three of those were identified as poultry flocks, while the other was identified as a backyard flock.
Two of those three poultry flocks were located in the City of Markham, and the other was located in the Municipality of Chathamn-Kent. The backyard flock was in Prince Edward County.
No further information concerning these cases has been released by CFIA to date.
CFIA also offered a notification that a previously reported case of HPAI in the Township of Centre Wellington was actually a commercial breeding facility for ducks and geese. A report on the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) website revealed that there were 2,150 birds at that facility.
OIE also provided an update on a previously reported case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the Township of Woolwich. That farm, according to OIE, was a commercial turkey farm. There were 3,033 turkeys at the facility. Of those 526 died after contracting the virus, while the others were euthanized.
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.
