Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 4/8/15

Three Asian markets have banned poultry imports from Canada in the wake of the recent avian influenza outbreaks, even as Canada takes steps to contain a new bird flu outbreak from spreading throughout Ontario.

Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have launched trade restrictions on poultry and poultry products from Canada following this week's discovery of an H5 outbreak at a turkey farm in Ontario, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

While Taiwan and Japan are smaller markets for Canadian poultry — just 1.6 percent of its exports annually — the outbreak essentially expands a ban on poultry from British Columbia that was established by 10 other countries earlier this year. The Hong Kong ban includes Ontario as well as two counties in Minnesota where H5N2 was confirmed yesterday, according to the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety.

Meanwhile, CFIA also has a set up quarantines at seven poultry farms in Ontario following the discovery of an H5 outbreak at a turkey farm near Woodstock. The regulatory agency noted that a total of 7,500 birds at the affected farm have died and another 4,500 are slated to be culled today while testing to better identify the avian flu strain continue. Results of those tests are expected to be available later this week.

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