BC, Canada: H5N1 in wild birds

[Shiloh]

Source: https://ktvz.com/news/wildlife/2022/...acific-flyway/

ODA prepares as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is confirmed in the Pacific Flyway

By KTVZ news sources
Published March 16, 2022 5:49 PM


SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On March 2, the World Organization for Animal Health confirmed a bald eagle found dead in British Columbia, Canada tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) Eurasian strain H5N1. The detection is the first in North America’s Pacific Flyway since 2015...

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[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.wltribune.com/news/sick-...s-the-cariboo/

Sick pelicans reported across the Cariboo
Pelican at Alkali Lake tests positive for avian flu
Rebecca DyokMay. 19, 2022 3:46 p.m.Local NewsNews

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirms that a pelican from Alkali Lake has tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian flu and says the province of B.C. has received reports of sick pelicans in the Cariboo at Williams Lake, Alkali, Puntzi and Bouchie lakes.

The reports were received through the Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Reporting toll-free hotline, which accepts reports of sick and dead wild birds from the public, said a B.C. Ministry of Forests spokesperson.

A more recent report received by agencies is of a dead pelican at a colony in Quesnel, which may or not be related to Bouchie Lake...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.agassizharrisonobserver....in-abbotsford/

Avian flu confirmed in some Canada geese at Mill Lake in Abbotsford
Elizabeth’s Wildlife Centre is receiving almost-daily calls about ill or dead birds
Vikki HopesJun. 17, 2022 3:05 p.m.Local NewsNews

Avian flu is killing some of the Canada geese at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford, according to the founder of a local wildlife shelter.

Elizabeth Melnick of Elizabeth’s Wildlife Centre said she is getting almost-daily calls of geese being found dead at the park or exhibiting symptoms.

Several of the birds brought into the centre have since tested positive for the infection, she said...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/8943873/b...ern-avian-flu/

B.C. eagle deaths on the rise, says wildlife expert, but cause remains unknown
By Amy Judd Global News
Posted June 23, 2022 7:59 pm
Updated June 23, 2022 10:02 pm

A wildlife expert is concerned the outbreak of avian flu in B.C. could be contributing to a dramatic drop in young eagles in the southwestern part of the province.

David Hancock, director of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation, monitors several hundred eagle nests between White Rock and Squamish.

He estimates that this year the production of new eagle chicks is just 20 per cent of normal, perhaps because matching pairs are not laying eggs or because the chicks are dying...

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Province investigating spike in bald eagle deaths in British Columbia

technology and science
July 5, 2022

The highly contagious bird flu could affect more than farmed birds, as wildlife experts in the province say they are beginning to see the conditions of concern for bald eagles and other wild birds in the southern part -western British Columbia

Caeley Thacker, wildlife veterinarian with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, says an interagency effort is underway with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ministry of Agriculture to closely monitor the current population and nests of bald eagles.

“They have 22 active nests that they are monitoring, and right now only five are still active,” Thacker told CBC. The first edition On Monday. "Last year's report said about half of the nests monitored were active, so it's lower this year. »

She said the province has begun to closely monitor bald eagles and collect data to find out what's causing low nest success and why only a handful of nests have chicks.

Thacker said some birds have tested positive for avian flu, but that doesn't appear to be the only contributing factor to the dramatic drop in the number of young eagles in the province's southwest, as well as the spike in reports of dead birds.

“Other factors could be the weather. We have a particularly cold and wet spring, but we [also] need to take a closer look at what's going on with the food source. We don't know exactly what's going on yet. »

She said predatory species like eagles and other raptors are particularly susceptible to bird flu because they could consume an infected carcass or bird alive.

“Last week we tested about 40 eagles, and we had 10 positives for this strain of highly pathogenic avian flu. »

As spring migration continues, she said northern jurisdictions are also seeing more birds infected with bird flu.

The province said in a written statement it had collected 47 dead eagles since February, 12 of which tested positive for avian flu.

Mill Lake a 'complete disaster'

Elizabeth Melnick, the founder of Elizabeth's Wildlife Center in Abbotsford, says the number of calls and reports of Canada geese and goslings with bird flu symptoms in Mill Lake began to skyrocket in late May and June. .

She said things had slowed down over the past two weeks, but she had never seen the virus affect so many wild birds.

“People were saying there were dead geese littered all over the field, and it was really, really bad,” Melnick told CBC News. “It was mostly Mill Lake. »

The lake near the Trans-Canada Highway in Abbotsford is a popular community area, Melnick said, with a nature trail around the water, a family-friendly picnic and play area and an outdoor pool.

She said the center received reports of dead geese up to four times a day in June.

“Mill Lake was a complete disaster. We have had so many calls from dead and dying Canada geese. We have frequent babies and feeders in this area, and the phones have never stopped,” Melnick said.

She said the center had also received two ducks from Aldergrove which had tested positive for bird flu and a great blue heron from Chilliwack.

"It's always the same symptoms. Head shaking, stargazing, it's all neurological. The goslings also had snow-white eyes, and they were also lethargic. »

Keep the infection out of the environment

While outbreaks are easier to sustain in an agricultural setting, not much can be done for wild birds, Thacker says, so the best thing we can do is prevent infection from the environment.

“The best thing we can do is remove the carcasses from the landscape and prevent the birds from congregating as much as possible,” she said.

She said there had been a decline in eagles on the west coast since last year.

“We need to understand what is causing this and what we can do about it, if anything. »

Although bird flu can be difficult to spot, she said birders can watch out for swollen eyes or heads and lethargic behavior.

https://lesactualites.news/technolog...e-britannique/

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.saobserver.net/news/sick...for-avian-flu/

Sick and dead birds found in Salmon Arm Bay spur testing for avian flu
Province has received several reports of sick or dead Canada geese and grebes since June 8
Lachlan LabereAug. 20, 2022 5:00 a.m.

Ron Banville is concerned avian flu has reached Salmon Arm’s bird sanctuary.

The Shuswap nature photographer frequently visits the city’s Marine Peace Park and adjacent sanctuary looking for wildlife to capture with his camera. Earlier this summer he began finding dead birds in the sanctuary and, with reports of avian flu showing up in the Okanagan, including Enderby, he decided to take action.

“They say if you see a dead bird, report it, and if you see three dead birds, then that’s a concern,” said Banville. “Well, I’ve found six dead birds, so I called the hotline for the bird flu and talked to the supervisors there and they said the birds that I took pictures of, the carcasses, were too old to take autopsies, so I had to find a bird that was less than 24 hours dead.”

Banville was told if he sees a bird flying around in constant circles, that’s a sign it has avian influenza...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com...-spring-birds/

Avian flu detected in Salt Spring birds
By Robb Magley
October 18, 2022

Discovery of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in birds on Salt Spring last week has led to much of the island being declared a Primary Control Zone (PCZ) by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....

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Avian flu: wildlife rehabilitation centers are overwhelmed with calls

Radio Canada
Posted yesterday at 2:51 p.m.

As many wildlife rehabilitation centers report increasing numbers of wild birds with avian flu in British Columbia, the federal and provincial governments are reminding anyone who finds these sick birds in the wild not to not touch it.

I've been doing this work for 37 years and it's unheard of , says Elizabeth Melnick, who rehabilitates injured or orphaned animals at her center in Abbotsford.

Her shelter, which runs on donations, can't keep up with public demand, whether it's Canada geese, ducks or crows discovered in distress due to avian flu.

According to Ms. Melnick, as well as the Wildlife Rescue Association, these birds have lost coordination, are paralyzed or suffer from convulsions.

There is no treatment to treat birds with this disease which can affect humans in some cases.

Currently, seven commercial poultry farms in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are under quarantine. This is the same area where 17 million birds were culled in 2004 to prevent bird flu from spreading further at the time.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency asks anyone who finds a sick or dead wild animal to contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Network.

The British Columbia Ministry of Forests advises the public to contact the Wild Bird Mortality Reporting Line at 1-866-4231-2473.

Based on information from Chad Pawson

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1938626/grippe-aviaire-oiseaux-sauvages-centres-rehabilitation

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-...and-1.18935386

'It's really sad': Avian flu affecting wild birds on Vancouver Island
TEST_LogoiHeart_Lowfi
Staff
CTV News Vancouver Island
Published date: Wednesday, December 14th 2022 - 10:01 am
Modified date: Wednesday, December 14th 2022 - 10:01 am

An animal rescue centre on Vancouver Island says an avian flu that's sweeping across North America is affecting wild birds in the region.

On Tuesday, an injured heron was under the care of the team at Mountainaire Avian Rescue (MARS) in Merville, B.C.

Hopefully, the bird will not be affected by a deadly disease that staff are concerned about.

"We are seeing a lot more cases of suspected avian influenza," said Kiersten Shyian, assistant manager of wildlife rehabilitation at MARS.

"We have euthanized probably five animals in the last week or two," she said.

The highly contagious flu is taking a toll on poultry birds as well as wild birds...

[sharon sanders]

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[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.westernstandard.news/bc/...18b7a9b3e.html

Dead gull found in Cowichan Bay tests positive for avian flu
By Reid Small4 hours ago

A dead gull found in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Bay has tested positive for avian flu.

Workers at the 30 acre Pacific Industrial & Marine Ltd. facility noticed the dead gull showed no markings of an attack and decided to send it to provincial authorities for testing...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://bcitnews.com/2023/11/15/b-c-...ird-flu-cases/

B.C.’s wild raptor population seeing rise in bird flu cases
Sonya Kuitenbrouwer / November 14th, 2023


Though many recent documented outbreaks have been discovered in commercial poultry farms, an ongoing rise of avian influenza case numbers is also being seen in local wild raptor populations.

The Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) is an organization dedicated solely to the care of raptors. In 2021, OWL reported a singular positive case of the virus. Since then, the centre has been forced to enforce new safety measures and repurpose buildings into quarantine areas in order to keep up with the rising number of cases.

General Care Manager at Owl, Rob Hope says this fall has brought a significantly larger number of infected birds into their care.

“It used to be one or two every month,as of lately, probably in the last two weeks, we’ve had what we suspect to be eight birds with avian influenza. It started probably back in October, and yeah, it’s here pretty good now.” – Rob Hope, General Care Manager at OWL...