At the conclusion of 2023, Canadian officials reported the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza had been confirmed in 103 commercial poultry flocks.
These cases have appeared in six of the country’s provinces, which was one fewer province than the total for the 2022 HPAI cases. Nova Scotia had HPAI appear in two commercial poultry flocks in 2022, but the province was able to avoid any infections of commercial poultry in 2023. Only two provinces saw an uptick in flock infections in 2023, and the country’s number of affected flocks saw a year-over-year drop from 190 to 103.
Utilizing information provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) this article offers a look at where the provinces rank when it comes to the number of commercial flocks affected by the virus.
1. British Columbia
Like was the case in 2022, British Columbia was the province with the most commercial poultry flocks affected by HPAI in 2023. The number of infected flocks in 2023 increased to 72 – 16 more flocks than were affected in 2022. For both years, the majority of the cases were found in three municipalities: Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Langley Township. The province’s first commercial HPAI case of the year was confirmed on January 7 and the last of the year was confirmed on December 25. However, British Columbia had no confirmed HPAI infections from May through September.
2. Quebec
Quebec had the second-most flocks hit by HPAI in 2023 with 27. This too was an increase from the 16 flocks where the virus was confirmed in 2022, when Quebec tied Saskatchewan as the province with the fifth most affected flocks. Quebec’s first flock infections of the year were confirmed on January 31, when two flocks were affected. The final case of the year was confirmed on December 4. There was also a gap in cases during the warmer months, with no confirmed HPAI infections from June through September. Ten of the 2023 HPAI cases in Quebec were in Les Maskoutains, although none of the 2022 cases were.
3. Alberta
After being the province with the second most flocks hit by HPAI in 2022, Alberta dropped to third. The 10 commercial flock infections in 2023 represented a meaningful decline from the 27 flocks affected during the previous year. The 2023 cases occurred in nine municipalities this year, with Taber being the only locale with two flocks affected. All 10 2023 cases were confirmed in the latter months of the year, with the first occurrence on September 11 and the last on December 8.
4. Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ranked fourth in terms of flock infections with six. This is a significant drop from the 16 reported in 2022. The six flocks struck by HPAI in 2023 were in six different municipalities. Like was the case with Alberta, all of Saskatchewan’s flock infections were confirmed in the back half of the year, with the first confirmation coming on September 21 and the final on November 4.
5. Ontario
Ontario ranked fifth among provinces with HPAI infections with three confirmed cases. This is nearly a third of the confirmed cases the province experienced in 2022, when 29 commercial flocks were affected. The 2023 cases were confirmed in Middlesex, Norfolk County and West Lincoln. The first of those three cases was confirmed on March 14 and the final was confirmed on April 19.
6. Manitoba
Manitoba, which had 17 commercial poultry flocks struck by HPAI in 2022, had only one confirmed case in 2023. HPAI was confirmed on November 8 in Rhineland.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
