The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the poultry
industry to step up biosecurity because waterfowl are migrating and could be
shedding dangerous influenza virus strains in their poop.
That’s the probable cause of devastating outbreaks of avian
influenza last year, wiping out millions of chickens and turkeys in the United
States, three flocks in Oxford County, Ontario, and a number of flocks in the
lower Fraser Valley area of British Columbia.
The CFIA is also warning that some avian influenza viruses
can pass between people and birds.
Two commercial flocks were recently found to be infected
with the H1N1 strain of avian influenza which is known to pass between people
and birds, it says.
The CFIA also says highly-pathogenic strains of avian
influenza have been confirmed in commercial poultry flocks in Mexico and the
United States earlier this year.
There is lots of information available on biosecurity
protocols for the poultry industry, including the CFIA website, the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Poultry Industry Council
and all of the poultry marketing boards, both provincial and their national
agencies.