Virulent avian influenza continues to hit Alberta poultry flocks
As the first wild ducks and geese begin their fall flight south, highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI,, is once again hitting Alberta's bird farmers hard.
A dozen new outbreaks have been detected in September and all but one are in commercial flocks.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, there are currently 26 farms in Alberta with active infections, significantly more than any other province.
British Columbia currently lists 11 infected farms, Ontario has 10 and Saskatchewan sits at nine.
The outbreaks have lead to the culling of more than 1.2 million birds in Alberta alone.
Most outbreaks are around Edmonton and northern Alberta.
"The fall migration is starting again which means the birds are congregating in larger numbers closer to gather which provides a better environment for all types of disease transmission," said Dayna Goldsmith, a diagnostic pathologist with U of C's faculty of veterinary medicine.
She is also a regional director with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, a research agency that takes reports of sick or dead birds.
"We have had some new positive cases from the commercial side, which we do believe is originating from the wild populations, so this is the same strain," Goldsmith said.
"It hasn't gone away – it just kind of got quieter over the summer as the birds spread out. A lot of them were exposed and either got sick and died or developed immunity to it."
HPAI is not a human food safety risk and while people can get sick from being in contact with infected birds, it is not especially dangerous to human health. Still, anyone handling dead birds is reminded to wash their hands and clothing well afterwards to avoid spreading the infection.
Avian influenza is a reportable disease, meaning suspected cases must be tested and reported to the CFIA. Wild waterfowl have been found to be particularly susceptible and major carriers of the virus.
This year has seen a particularly bad outbreak around the world, causing unusual levels of sickness in birds, including neurological symptoms. It is highly contagious in domestic flocks and nearly always fatal.
Researchers want to know about any unexplained waterfowl or scavenger deaths – great horned owls, for example, have been impacted by scavenging dead ducks and geese.
They are particularly interested in cases where several birds are found at the same time.
Dead birds can be reported online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.