First ever detection of avian influenza among domestic birds on P.E.I.
Recently, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a small poultry flock in Kings County, P.E.I.
In a statement to The Guardian on May 21, CFIA noted that it is the first detection in domestic birds in Prince Edward Island.
'The detection is not unexpected as the virus has been circulating in wildlife and wild birds in Eastern Canada throughout the current HPAI outbreak,' read the statement.
The statement added that new cases of avian influenza are not uncommon as the risk of avian influenza for domestic poultry tends to increase during the spring and fall migration of wild birds.
'The Agency does not release specific details about the operations of individual farms in order to help protect the privacy of producers, however the Agency can confirm that this detection was at a non-commercial poultry premises,' said the statement.
The CFIA says human infections with avian influenza are rare and usually occur after close contact with infected birds or highly contaminated environments.
The CFIA has implemented a primary control zone (PCZ) for the infected premises.
'A PCZ mitigates the risk of disease spread by controlling movements of designated animals and things through the use of CFIA permits,' read the statement.
All commercial and backyard poultry producers, regardless of the size of their flocks, are encouraged to remain vigilant of HPAI and ensure they have biosecurity measures in place, said the CFIA.
These measures include:
In a statement to The Guardian on May 20, the P.E.I. Association of Exhibitions encouraged local poultry owners and exhibitors to remain vigilant and implement recommended biosecurity practices to minimize risks.
'As the situation evolves, we will provide updates to our fairs, festivals and exhibitions at which time our plans will be adjusted accordingly,' read the statement.
At this time, the association's planning for summer exhibitions remains unchanged.
'However, we recognize the importance of biosecurity measures and will continue to assess any potential impacts on events involving poultry or other birds,' read the statement.
The primary source of infection of farmed birds in Canada is most likely through contact or contamination from the wild bird population, said the CFIA.
'This includes contaminated manure, litter, clothing, footwear, vehicles, equipment, feed and water,' the statement said.
When cases of avian influenza are confirmed, CFIA says that response measures include movement restriction, disease containment and surveillance in order to control the spread and eradicate the disease.
'Quarantine and animal movement controls are placed on infected premises, and any poultry operations that may have had contact with infected premises,' said the CFIA.
Non-commercial poultry operations are premises with fewer than 1,000 birds in total, and less than 300 waterfowl.
Yutaro Sasaki is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. He can be reached by email at
ysasaki@postmedia.com
and followed on X @PEyutarosasaki.
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