Avian flu Hits Canada

AFP

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Saturday March 13, 03:14 PM

Canadian authorities confirm bird flu case in British Columbia


OTTAWA (AFP) - Canadian health officials confirmed a case of a virulent
strain of bird flu in the western province of British Columbia, but said
humans were not at high risk.

"Results of analyses today confirmed the presence of avian flu H7N3, a
highly pathogenic strain, on a farm in southern British Columbia," the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a statement.

The agency stressed the "seriousness of the illness in birds" but said it
posed a low risk to human health.

The avian flu case was detected February 19 on Abbotsford farm, east of
Vancouver, where 16,000 chickens were slaughtered.

Unlike the H5 strain that has killed 22 people in Asia and forced the
destruction of millions of ducks and chickens, the H7 strain found in Canada
poses a low risk to humans, Canadian officials said.

The Canadian government is monitoring the movement of all types of fowl in
the Vancouver metropolitan area, said the agency.

"The movement of any bird that is in captivity, including pet birds, day-old
chicks and hatching eggs, any product or by-products of a bird, and anything
which has been exposed to a bird, into, out of or within the control area is
now restricted," the agency said in a statement.

The European Union on Thursday suspended poultry and bird imports from
Canada until April 6, when it will review the suspension.