Canada: B.C. reports 16 Avian Influenza outbreaks since October
Avian influenza has rapidly reemerged across poultry farms in British Columbia, with the virus detected in approximately six commercial flocks within this week alone. Notably, birds in eight commercial poultry farms located in the Fraser Valley and smaller flocks in Merritt and Port McNeill have recently been confirmed positive for avian influenza. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), this raises the total number of confirmed outbreaks to 16 since late October.
The affected farms in the Fraser Valley encompass operations in Chilliwack, Agassiz, Mission, Abbotsford, and Langley. The birds tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, initially identified in Canada in 2021, contributing to the loss of millions of birds since its emergence.
Approximately 370,000 birds have been euthanized since October due to avian influenza outbreaks. The previous outbreak during the 2022-23 fall and winter season resulted in the culling of around three million birds in British Columbia.
