Tuesday, December 26, 2023

B.C. had 53 avian flu cases

British Columbia has had 53 outbreaks of highly-pathogenic avian influenza since October, the latest one as recent as Christmas Day.

Most were not commercial poultry farms; the last one of them was Dec. 9.


At one point there were so many popping up in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and surrounding area that it seemed like the whole industry there was going down. But it was mainly little flocks where migrating geese and ducks had shed their poop.


The province has lost almost six million birds to the virus this fall. The national toll is almost 11 million.


In the United States, California has had 539,000 cases since Dec. 18, reports Meatingplace Magazine citing United States Department of Agriculgture data.


California has lost 3.7 million birds held in 15 commercial flocks since the first official cases on Feb 8, 2022.


Kansas lost 800,00 commercial layers this week. That brings the toll to 1.5 million birds at two commercial flocks and seven backyard flocks since October.


Michigan lost nearly 40,000 birds in Muskegon County last week.