Bird flu outbreak affects 500,000 birds in Saskatchewan, worries researchers and farmers

The world bird flu The outbreak has researchers and poultry farmers in Saskatchewan worried. While the risks to human health are still minimal, governments and commercial organizations are asking everyone to be vigilant.

Worldwide, millions of birds have been infected with the H5N1 virus. According to chicken farmers of Canada, this outbreak is the largest on record.

The lesson bird flu report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency shows that approximately half a million birds in Saskatchewan have been infected as of March 1, 2023. The total number of reported cases for Canada is 7.2 million. British Columbia and Alberta have been hardest hit, with both provinces having more than a million infected birds.

Chicken Farmers of Canada says an outbreak can threaten the national food chain. If poultry farms are infected, there could be enormous economic damage.

“Our chicken farmers prepare for avian influenza every year by following rigorous, science-based on-farm biosecurity protocols. With the recent outbreak of the H5N1 variant, farmers are taking extra steps and working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to limit the spread.

6:36Growing concern over the spread of bird flu

The organization emphasizes that bird flu poses no threat to food security.

“There is no evidence to suggest that the bird flu virus can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of food, including poultry and eggs. We are trusted by consumers for good reason, and we continue to work hard to grow the safe, high-quality chicken products that Canadians expect.

Dr Alyson Kelvin, a researcher at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), says most bird flus are mild and often don’t even cause illness, but the current strain of the virus is particularly aggressive to the bird population. , both in symptoms and spread. However, so far the virus has posed only a very minor threat to human health.

“It is rare for a virus to cross the species barrier and we have seen that the current strain has great difficulty in crossing this barrier. However, viruses are always unpredictable, so we are monitoring virus changes and behavior at this time. There may have been billions of birds affected worldwide, but there have only been a small handful of H5N1 cases in humans, so we see this as a positive sign that the virus seems have trouble infecting humans.

However, the virus has been detected in other animal species.

“In addition to mortality in wild birds, primarily raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds and corvids, the virus has also been detected in several mammalian species including foxes, skunks and black bears” , said the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment.

The Saskatchewan Departments of Agriculture and Environment are monitoring the situation closely. The Department of Agriculture is working in coordination with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the poultry industry to prepare for any outbreaks during the spring migration of wild birds.

In a statement to Global News, the Department of Agriculture said it was proactively reaching out to producers to reinforce the importance of biosecurity measures and the need to monitor herds for disease.

“Poultry owners are reminded to take an active role in protecting their flocks by maintaining high levels of biosecurity, which includes preventing contact between poultry and wild birds – both directly and indirectly through the through contaminated environments, food and water – limiting visitors to poultry houses, using barn-specific clothing and footwear, and regularly monitoring birds for signs of disease.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment also warns the public against handling dead or sick birds.

“Although the risk of human infection remains low, the public is advised to avoid handling sick or dead birds. They should also report animals showing neurological symptoms or cases of multiple dead animals to the information center department at 1-800-567-4224, or through the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative wildlife health tracking app.

“Hunters should take routine hygiene precautions when handling wild game and cook game meat thoroughly before eating it.”

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