Avian influenza H5N2 confirmed on second farm in Southern Ontario

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Avian influenza confirmed on second farm in Southern Ontario

OTTAWA, April 18, 2015

Preliminary testing by the Province of Ontario has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza on a second farm in Oxford County, Ontario. The farm is a broiler breeder chicken farm.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed the farm under quarantine to control disease spread and the poultry industry has been notified to adopt enhanced biosecurity practices. Further testing by the CFIA is underway to confirm pathogenicity and to determine the precise subtype and strain of the virus. Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the illness caused in birds.

Avian influenza does not pose a risk to food safety when poultry and poultry products are properly handled and cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans that do not have consistent contact with infected birds. Public health authorities stand ready to take precautionary measures as warranted.

Initial tests for the disease were conducted on April 17, 2015 at the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph, after the chicken farm experienced sudden deaths of birds over several days.

All birds on the infected premises will be humanely destroyed and disposed of, in accordance with provincial environmental regulations and internationally accepted disease control guidelines. As lead response agency the CFIA will ensure the quarantine of the infected farm, and determine a surrounding surveillance zone for further testing and movement control measures. The CFIA will also lead on required depopulation of birds, while the Province will provide technical support on required carcass disposal. Once all birds have been removed, the CFIA will oversee the cleaning and disinfection of the barns, vehicles, equipment and tools to eliminate any infectious material that may remain.

The Province of Ontario, the CFIA, the owner of the infected birds, and the poultry industry are working closely together to manage the situation. Both levels of government will work with the poultry industry to address issues as they emerge. The Canadian poultry sector currently practices a high level of biosecurity that reduces the risk of disease spread.
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http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?...505.1429399144

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Ontario bird flu hits chicken farm

Heather Rivers and Dan Brown, Postmedia Network

Monday, April 20, 2015 6:46:03 EDT AM

WOODSTOCK, Ont. -- First it was turkeys. Now it's chickens.
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Federal regulators say tests have confirmed the avian flu at a second location in Oxford, a farm that breeds broiler chickens.

That operation is outside an expanded, 10-km-wide containment zone put in place a week ago to guard against the spread of the disease from one infected turkey farm.

Whether the latest case of H5 avian flu is the same deadly strain that led to the death or destruction of more than 45,000 turkeys on the Oxford farm at the centre of the 29-farm fallout zone, isn't clear yet.

How the virus touched down at the chicken operation, whose location wasn't disclosed, isn't clear, either.

On Sunday, federal regulators were still seeking answers, saying it's possible migratory birds are to blame.
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"While we cannot definitively state how the affected birds were exposed to the virus, avian influenza strains circulate in migratory wild birds and waterfowl, which pose a risk for spreading the disease," he said.

Ontario's chicken and egg industry, much of it based in Southwestern Ontario, dwarfs the turkey industry, its farms outnumbering turkey operations by more than 13 to one, according to the latest farm census. It's not the type of farm where the virus has been found, but the fact it has shown up on a second poultry farm at all that is most worrisome, said a former Ontario agriculture minister who's the Oxford MPP.
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http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/201...s-chicken-farm

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Timeline of Events - Notifiable Avian Influenza - Ontario - 2015

April 19

The CFIA confirms the subtype and strain of the virus on IP2 is highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza.

The CFIA has begun its investigation to identify premises in the area that will need to be placed under precautionary quarantine to minimize the risk of virus spread.

The CFIA holds a technical briefing for the media and a conference call with key industry stakeholders to provide an update on the situation.

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http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/ai/2015-investigation-ontario/timeline-of-events/eng/1428460637170/1428460637873

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Establishes a Second Avian Influenza Control Zone

April 22, 2015

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has established a second Avian Influenza Control Zone in Ontario to control the movement of animals, products and equipment within the zone to minimize disease spread.

The boundary of this second Avian Influenza Control Zone covers a 10km radius from the second premises confirmed to be infected with avian influenza. The zone spans across a portion of Oxford County and Waterloo County, Ontario.

All premises having poultry on site located within the second Avian Influenza Control Zone have now been placed under quarantine; however, only the second infected premises has shown any signs of illness. The Agency is monitoring the additional quarantined premises closely for any signs of disease.

The establishment of individual quarantines and the Avian Influenza Control Zone is part of an internationally accepted practice to allow trade to continue from non-infected areas of a country. The establishment of this second zone will continue to contribute to the alleviation of market access restrictions.

Some of our trading partners, including the European Union and the United States, have recognized our second control zone and trade in products originating outside the two zones will be able to resume shortly. We are working closely with industry and the remainder of our international partners to reaffirm continued trade based on ongoing effective control measures and certification requirements.

The CFIA has completed scientific testing at the Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) to sequence the virus of this particular H5N2 strain of avian influenza. This strain of the virus currently present in Ontario is nearly identical to the strain identified at the initial infected premises, as well as in British Columbia at the end of 2014. It also closely matches the strain isolated in Washington State, US.

Avian influenza strains circulate in migratory wild birds and waterfowl which pose a risk for spreading the disease.

Avian influenza does not pose a risk to food safety when poultry and poultry products are properly handled and cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans that do not have consistent contact with infected birds.

As the CFIA's investigation progresses, any additional control measures will be assessed and put into place as appropriate.

Poultry farmers are reminded to practice a high level of biosecurity to reduce the risk of disease spread, and report any suspicious symptoms in their flocks to the CFIA.

For more information on avian influenza and measures poultry farmers can take to protect their flocks, please visit theCFIA web site at inspection.gc.ca.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/.../1429669801390