The flu now affecting birds in Saskatchewan is a severe strain of influenza that has mingled genes from Eurasia and North America, according to Dr. Trent Bollinger, a professor at Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and a pathologist. Bollinger said that the severity of the disease, which he says is the H5N1 strain, depends on the species.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency say avian influenza has been detected in additional poultry flocks in southern Alberta as well as in Saskatchewan.
Nearly 23 million birds have died as a highly pathogenic bird flu virus tears its way through farms and chicken yards. It has spread to at least 24 states in less than two months. One of the worst-hit states is Iowa, where more than 5 million birds died at an egg-laying facility in Osceola on March 31.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the H5N1 bird flu was confirmed Tuesday in a non-commercial flock in southern Nova Scotia.
The mortalities to date include a snow goose (Hyde County), redhead duck (Carteret County), red-shouldered hawk (Wake County) and bald eagle (Dare County).
Since November, six foxes and three dogs in Nunavut have been found to be infected with rabies. Wednesday’s fox attack brings the total to seven foxes and five dogs with likely rabies infections.
An outbreak of avian flu that has killed vast numbers of domestic and wildfowl in recent weeks in northern Israel has likely reached its peak and began to abate over the past week, officials said Friday. In the Hula Lake Reserve, some 5,000 cranes died of the disease. The grim job of collecting crane carcasses from the lake by the ministry’s staff and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority was expected to end on Monday, the report said.
After a second fox tested positive for rabies in Igloolik, Nunavut health officials are once again urging anyone who has been bitten by a fox or a dog to go immediately to their local health centre.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at an exhibition farm in Newfoundland, Canada. The OIE report identified the affected birds as “non-poultry including wild birds.” On the premises, there were 419 susceptible birds. Of those, 360 died and the remaining 59 were euthanized. A Canada goose died from avian influenza on in the Halifax area on February 2 (see related articles).
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