Deadly avian flu lands in Nova Scotia
/
by Emily Leeson
Avian influenza has arrived in Nova Scotia. It was first confirmed in a Canada goose in the Grand Desert area of Halifax County. By Feb. 3, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of the virus in a commercial poultry barn in western Nova Scotia. Shortly thereafter, 12,000 turkeys were euthanized.
“There are two additional locations, but they are not commercial farms,” said Lisa Bishop-Spencer, a spokeswoman with the Chicken Farmers of Canada, in mid-February.
The virus can spread quickly from contact between wild birds and domesticated flocks.
“It’s important to remember that the Atlantic region is under a known flyway for migratory birds, which is how the virus arrives in the region,” said Bishop-Spencer. “It is possible that more positive samples may be found as monitoring continues.”
Avian influenza outbreaks pose a significant threat to the poultry industry. Signs of infection include a lack of energy, coordination, movement, and appetite, decreased egg production, coughing, gasping, sneezing, tremors, diarrhea, and sudden death.
Generally classified into two main types (low pathogenic and highly pathogenic), different strains of the virus exist in different parts of the world. The strain confirmed in Nova Scotia this year, and earlier in Newfoundland when the virus was found at an exhibition farm on the Avalon Peninsula, is the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype.
Highly pathogenic variations of the virus are extremely contagious and can cause as much as 100 percent of an infected flock to die.
The virus has also been recently confirmed in Maine and New York.
Avian influenza outbreaks occur most commonly in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, with peak activity occurring in February.
HIGHLY INFECTIOUS
“Avian influenza poses little risk to people, but the virus is highly infectious and potentially deadly in wild and domestic birds,” said Bob Petrie, a director with Nova Scotia’s natural resources department. “We urge the public to avoid feeding or handling wild birds like ducks, geese, pheasants, pigeons, and gulls to prevent disease spread.”
Chickens, turkeys, quails, and guinea fowl are among the domesticated species at risk.
The virus can move quickly through a flock. Feed and water access points can become contaminated as birds shed the virus through feces and respiratory secretions. With an ability to survive for long periods when temperatures are low, the virus can be spread further on farm equipment and from farm to farm.
In Canada, the H5 and H7 subtypes of the avian influenza virus are federally reportable diseases – meaning that producers, veterinarians, and laboratories must notify the CFIA of all suspected or confirmed cases.
The agency’s emergency response strategy currently includes the humane destruction of all infected and exposed animals, surveillance and tracing of potentially infected or exposed animals, strict quarantine, animal movement control, decontamination of infected premises, and zoning to define infected and disease-free areas.
“Movement restrictions are placed on certain products leaving, going into, or moving within the control zone,” said Dr. Margaret McGeoghegan, a veterinarian with the CFIA’s Atlantic division based in Charlottetown.
The control zone extends 10 kilometres out from any confirmed infection.
“All trucks delivering items like feed and oil must be permitted to be in the area,” said Bishop-Spencer. “In addition, farmers in the zone have blocked access to their properties, and will heighten their biosecurity measures. For example, any truck requiring access to a farm property will have their tires and wheel wells washed and disinfected prior to getting onto the property and again upon leaving the property. Measures like this allow farmers to limit, as much as is possible, the spread of the virus.”
Neighbouring farms with poultry also undergo ongoing testing for any spread.
INDUSTRY IMPACTS
While Health Canada confirms there’s no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry or eggs could transmit avian flu to humans and that all evidence to date indicates that thorough cooking will kill the virus, impacts on the industry are still evolving.
After avian influenza was confirmed in Nova Scotia, a number of countries, including the U.S., placed varying restrictions on the importation of Canadian poultry products, especially from Nova Scotia. However, most Canadian poultry products are consumed domestically.
“Because poultry and eggs are supply-managed commodities, the vast majority of the production is destined for the Canadian market, and what is exported tends to be the parts of the chicken, for example, that are consumed less in Canada, like dark meat,” said Bishop-Spencer.
“In chicken, we export roughly eight percent of our total production,” she added. “Our primary destination for exports is the United States, which has limited the ban to the region affected, which is not a big contributor to exports overall. The impacts can indeed be significant to those who are involved in exports, but the domestic supply remains plentiful.”
The CFIA currently suggests the following to protect backyard flocks: prevent contact with wild birds and other animals; keep premises clear of organic matter in which viruses, parasites, and bacteria could live; watch for signs of illness and report them early; limit exposure by visitors; and keep new birds separate from the established flock when first incorporating them.
