Canada Strengthens Poultry Avian Influenza Surveillance

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 09 Jun 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health of Canada's domestic poultry flocks from avian influenza (AI) viruses. That is why this Government is enhancing its AI surveillance for commercial poultry flocks in Canada.

This program is one of a number of domestic and international initiatives that have been implemented to prevent, detect and eliminate the presence of harmful AI viruses in Canada's domestic poultry flock. The expanded program was developed in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, poultry farmers and other industry representatives.

The enhanced Canadian Notifiable Avian Influenza Surveillance System (CanNAISS) has been designed to meet current guidelines from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and new requirements from the European Union that take effect in January 2009. The system will provide information about NAI viruses in Canada's domestic poultry flocks that will be required for Canadian poultry farmers and processors to continue doing business internationally.

While most AI viruses pose little or no animal health risk, two subtypes, known as H5 and H7, may lead to serious illness in birds. CanNAISS testing will identify poultry farms where these viruses may be present and enable the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and farmers to control potential disease spread.

More information about CanNAISS will be made available on the CFIA Web site as the implementation details are finalized.

Avian Influenza Viruses
Canada's Approach to Avian Influenza

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

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