Children’s farm hit by bird flu in Campbell River

A non-commercial farm that welcomes children in particular had to euthanize all of its chickens and ducks because of bird flu in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) specifies that since October 21, 15 locations have been infected in British Columbia.

All but one of the cases occurred on commercial poultry farms in the Valley. Fraser.

Katie Denowner of Holly Hill Farmshared the news of the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 on his farm on Facebook.

My heart is broken and my tears won’t stop. We had to say goodbye to every chicken and duck on our farm. We discovered [samedi] that our flock of chickens and ducks had contracted an incurable avian disease from a migratory wild bird that visited our barnyard.

Katie Den says that with the greatest respect for [sa] community and its safetyshe has immediately contacted the Vancouver Island Health Authority and theACIA.

My chickens and ducks each had a name and were so much more than “livestock.” There were about 50. I’m devastated. Our flock was humanely killed and according to the CFIA, it will only take approximately 14 days after the cleanup to have chickens and ducks again. However, I don’t think my heart can take it, we’ll see.

Low risk to humans

The Vancouver Island Health Authority said in a statement Tuesday that the risk of humans developing bird flu after contact with infected animals is very low. However, as a precaution, teams are in the process of notifying classes and other programs involving children who visited the farm on October 26 and 27.

The temperature of these people must be monitored, as well as the presence of possible symptoms, for a period of 10 days after the visit.

The Communicable Disease Team can be reached at 250-331-8555.

Highest level of biosecurity

Friday, in an email, BC Poultry declared to be still concerned about the risk of bird flu infection on poultry farms et closely monitor the situation and implement measures to reduce the risk of further spread.

For us, it’s all about protecting our herds and local food for British Columbians.

BC Poultry said to have passed at the highest biosecurity level in mid-Octoberasking farmers and industry partners to take additional measures like limiting visitors, ensuring personal protective equipment is worn by anyone entering a barn, and cleaning vehicles before they enter a barn. farm.

In British Columbia, adds theACIAsome 343,000 birds were affected by avian flu. L’ACIA does not publish the number of birds in each location in order to protect the privacy of producers.

The agency says control zones have been established within a 10 km radius of infected locations to mitigate the risk of spreading the disease.

Risk of pandemic?

In interview on the show Daybreak Souththe Dre Allison McGeerspecialist in infectious diseases at Sinai Healthreturned to the fact that the first case of avian flu was discovered in the United States, in a pig.

If this news increases concern that a new pandemic will break out, Allison McGeer however, puts into perspective the fact that humans who were infected in the United States were not hit hard.

Now is not the time to panic, she says, but if the disease can be transmitted from human to human, these are the conditions that will trigger the next pandemicconsidered Allison McGeer.

And [une pandémie de grippe aviaire touchant les humains] started over the next few months, it would be 4 to 6 months before we have enough vaccine for everyone.

I’m not worried about Canada’s ability to come togetherif this pandemic were to occur, assures Allison McGeer.

With information from Yann Lacoste, Liz McArthur et Kathryn Marlow