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The latest outbreak comes after cases recently reported in small herds in Summerland, Sechelt and the Peace River.
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June 9, 2022 • 59 minutes ago • 1 minute reading • Join the conversation Reviewing a rooster to test for bird flu. Photo by Merrimon / Getty Images / iStockphoto
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Avian flu has been detected in Langley Township, the third town in the Lower Mainland to face the highly contagious viral infection.
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On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the presence of the virus at a poultry operator in Langley Township.
The latest outbreak comes after cases recently reported in small herds in Summerland, Sechelt and the Peace River.
This virulent strain of bird flu that is ravaging North America was first reported in BC on April 13 in the North Okanagan Regional District. Since then, herds in Kelowna, Kootenays, Comox Valley, Okanagan-Similkameen, Richmond and Abbotsford have reported outbreaks.
Experts say migratory birds are responsible for the current spread and cases are expected to increase as birds fly north during the summer.
The BC Ministry of Agriculture had ordered commercial poultry operators to move their flocks inland. He also advised other measures such as reducing human access to flocks of birds and increasing cleanliness and sanitation.
According to the CFIA, 94 sites in Canada have been infected so far, including 15 in BC (not including the most recent case in Langley Township). About 102,000 birds in BC and more than two million birds in Canada have been slaughtered.
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