Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 12/17/14


The fallout from the outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza in western Canada has crossed the U.S. border, even as another Canadian province tries to mitigate the risks of an outbreak at local poultry farms.

USDA officials have confirmed that the highly pathogenic H5N2 and H5N8 avian flu strains have been confirmed in Northern Pintail ducks (left) and captive Gyrfalcons, respectively, in Whatcom County in Washington State. The county borders the area in British Columbia, Canada, where the outbreak was discovered at turkey and chicken farms earlier this month. USDA, the U.S. Dept. of the Interior and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services are working with Washington State officials on additional surveillance and testing of both wild and commercial birds in the area, the agency said in a release.

Government officials stress that neither strain of the viruses have been detected in commercial poultry in the United States and no human cases of infection have been reported in the United States or Canada. USDA added there is no immediate public health concern with either avian flu viruses.

Meanwhile, poultry farmers in Alberta, Canada, are working with Alberta Chicken Producers, which has raised its level of alert in the wake of the situation in British Columbia, where more than 180,000 birds have been culled so far. The efforts include improving communication channels between Alberta, poultry farmers, processors, hatcheries and veterinarians in an area where producers already maintain a high level of bio-security, according to the organization that represents 240 chicken producers in the province.

North America is not the only area suddenly dealing with avian influenza issues: German authorities ordered the slaughter of 130,000 turkeys and chickens in the wake of the discovery of H5N8 that was found in Lower Saxony; and Japan has confirmed that authorities found a highly pathogenic H5 strain of bird flu that led to the culling of about 4,000 birds in recent weeks.

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