The bird flu virus continues to spread in Alberta. It was detected Sunday on a small farm in Two Hills County, 145 kilometers east of Edmonton.
Cases have also been confirmed at a commercial operation in the Regional Municipality of Wainwright, and another in Lethbridge County, the ministry said.ACIA in an update on its website.
It is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the first case of which was confirmed in Alberta this year in Mountain View County on April 6. Since that date, cases have been detected at more than 20 farms in Alberta.
Although most forms of bird flu are considered mild, the H5N1 strain can cause serious illness and wipe out an entire farm in days. Moreover, in the absence of treatment, all the birds in an infected outbreak must be culled to ensure that the epizootic is contained.
No concern for human health
The disease is not considered a significant concern for humans. Therefore, it is not a significant public health problem, especially for healthy people who are not in regular contact with infected birds, says theACIA.
However, the federal agency insists that anyone with farm animals should adopt good biosecurity habits to protect poultry and prevent disease.
She also recalls that avian flu is a notifiable disease in Canada.
With information from The Canadian Press
