Canadian authorities say they are investigating a second group of backyard poultry after a case of H5 avian flu was detected in the eastern province of Prince Edward Island where four goslings died. Authorities say all the birds in the present investigation seem to be healthy.
As there had been contact either with live birds or through foot traffic with the original infected farm, authorities have instituted a quarantine at the premises of the second group. Although all the birds seem healthy, swabs have been taken to see whether the virus is present there.
Test results will tell us whether the four goslings died of a North American H5 strain or an Asian strain. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) will then know whether the virus strain is a low or high pathogen. Some results will give us certain indications by Wednesday – but it will be at least a week before full test results are available. 40 poultry, including chickens, geese and ducks have been culled. A post-mortem examination did not reveal what the birds died of. As chickens did not get ill or die, veterinary experts doubt the virus is highly pathogenic.
Authorities say there is no evidence of human infection or any threat to public health.
CIFA stressed these are all standard precautionary measures and that there is no evidence to indicate that the H5N1 is present in Canada.
Both farms have free-range backyard poultry. Authorities have not ordered the destruction of birds in the second farm.
The virulent H5N1 bird flu virus strain has made its way from South East Asia, in 2003, to other parts of Asia, parts of Africa and Western and Eastern Europe. There have been 227 confirmed cases of humans infected with H5N1 over the last two-and-a-half years, of which 129 have died.
(Virulent = Powerful, deadly, highly pathogenic)
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today