Route links
- Local news
Avian flu was probably introduced by migrating wild birds. Photo of Postmedia / Archive
Content of the article
Provincial officials and poultry producers hope that the worst of a deadly wave of bird flu that has ravaged the province has already passed.
Announcement 2
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Dr. Margo Pybus, a wildlife disease specialist at Alberta Fish and Wildlife, said the virus appears to have made its way to Alberta after bird mortality peaked in May. He said most of the virus reached the province through migratory birds, which appear to have continued further north.
“By the end of May we were receiving fewer reports of dead birds. The dead birds that are being found tend to be older carcasses, so they died more in mid-May,” Pybus said. “We really don’t suspect that we still have a lot of the flu virus in Alberta right now.”
The highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus spread to Alberta in April and early May, devastating domestic and commercial poultry farms. The disease is believed to have reached the province through wild birds and then spread to wild and domestic animal populations. Earlier this month, reports found that nearly one million farm birds had to be destroyed as a result.
Announcement 3
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
“The form of the virus that came in with wild birds this spring that hit the north is actually killing some wild birds, and we’ve never seen it before,” Pybus said. “The primary mortality was in the geese, particularly the snow geese. But then we saw a secondary outbreak of the virus in the things they ate they also fell with the virus and died, and that includes a large number of hawks. and owls “.
Pybus said it does not believe the virus will continue to spread throughout the summer.
Maria Leslie, a spokeswoman for Alberta Chicken Producers, said they are optimistic that the spread of the virus has passed, but continue to call for caution among producers.
“I want to encourage people to continue to follow very high standards of biosecurity with any bird they may have on their farms,” Leslie said. “As we approach mid-summer and also as the weather warms, as the flu is conducive to living in a cooler, wetter environment, we expect to continue to see fewer cases.”
Announcement 4
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency website shows that the last confirmed case of bird flu was detected on June 2 in a small herd and not poultry, that is, the animal is it is found in a home and is not intended to be consumed. The latest case inside a commercial poultry farm was detected on May 11, according to the website.
Twenty active areas of infection remain in the province, including 18 commercial facilities, according to the CFIA database.
Leslie confirmed Friday that there were no new confirmed cases last week and that a Mountain View County facility has gone through the full process of eradicating the disease.
“The strongest biosecurity protocols are being followed and… We encourage small herd owners to continue to pursue greater biosecurity as well,” Leslie said.
dshort@postmedia.com
Share this article on your social network
Announcement 1
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Sign up to receive daily news from the headlines of the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking the sign up button, you agree to receive the previous Postmedia Network Inc. newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder.
The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will be in your inbox soon.
We encountered a problem registering you. Please try again
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil discussion forum and encouraging all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments can take up to an hour to moderate before appearing on the site. We urge you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve enabled email notifications – you will now receive an email if you receive a response to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you are following, or if a user is still commenting. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.