Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in Manitoba for the first time of 2023, while the virus continues to spread to more farms in British Columbia.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the presence of the virus was confirmed on November 8 in Rhineland, Manitoba. The type of poultry operation involved has not yet been disclosed, nor has the number of birds in the flock.
The last time HPAI was confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the province was more than a year ago, on October 26, 2022, but one backyard poultry flock in Manitoba was affected by HPAI on November 17, 2022.
The total number of farms in Manitoba to be affected by HPAI in 2022 was 17. However, none of those cases were in Rhineland.
CFIA also reported that the presence of HPAI was confirmed in six additional commercial poultry farms in British Columbia.
Two of those farms were in Abbotsford and two were in Chilliwack. Langley Township and Fraser Valley Regional District each had one farm affected. HPAI was confirmed at one of those Chilliwack operations on November 7, while all other cases were confirmed on November 8.
No province in Canada has had as many farms affected by HPAI as British Columbia during the 2022-23 outbreak. These new infections bring the total number of flocks lost in the province to 98. Alberta ranks second with 46.
By comparison, the U.S. state with the most commercial flocks to be affected is Minnesota, with 93, with the last of those being confirmed on November 7.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
