2024-01-16 13:19:10
Cases of avian flu were detected at a small flock in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia on January 9. The Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia is calling on producers to exercise caution.
More than a week ago, a case of avian flu was detected on a commercial farm in Outaouais, Quebec, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). On January 9, the CFIA also detected the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 in Nova Scotia.
This virus can cause serious illness or death in birds.
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Micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 virus (brown) grown in cells (green).
Photo : CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith/Jackie Katz/Sharif Zaki
The CFIA indicates in an email to Radio-Canada that the detection took place on a small farm in Lunenburg County. Breeding is defined as non-commercial on the agency’s site, which means that the site contains fewer than 1000 birds.
The agency also indicates that to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus, it has restricted travel and implemented quarantines. Complete slaughter, thorough cleaning and disinfection of contaminated places are also part of the measures taken.
Precautionary measures
Investigations are also underway, but for the Chicken Farmers Association of Canada, it is difficult to determine the cause of the infection in the region.
Now is a good time for farmers to check their manuals, and make sure their farms are as safe as possible.
For the Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia association, which brings together around a hundred commercial chicken and other poultry breeders in Nova Scotia, caution is therefore advised.
“We’ve been living with this disease for two years, it’s something we monitor daily and will continue to monitor for a very long time,” says Amy VanderHeide, President of Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia and member of the Nova Scotia Response Readiness Team. emergency in the poultry sector.
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Amy VanderHeide, president of Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia, raises chickens in the Annapolis Valley. She recalls the safety measures to avoid the spread of the disease.
Photo: Other image banks / Amy Venderheide
We change the boots, we identify visitors, we also have to wash our hands and boots, explains Amy VanderHeide who raises chickens in the Annapolis Valley and applies these safety measures every day to prevent the spread of the disease.
Avian flu has not been detected in Nova Scotia and the Atlantic provinces since March 4, 2023.
In recent months, the disease has been especially active in the west of the country, particularly in British Columbia. The CFIA reminds that the virus is continuously detected in wild birds and that it is generally not dangerous for humans.
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