WESTERN PRODUCER — British Columbia poultry producers face renewed challenges with avian influenza as the highly pathogenic virus has again swooped into the province.
Eight poultry farms have been confirmed to have outbreaks of the virus, according to a Nov. 8 release from the B.C. agriculture ministry, bringing the total to 14 commercial operations affected since Oct. 20.
The spread of avian influenza is again linked to the fall migration of wild birds and for the second year in a row the season has sparked outbreaks in the southern Fraser Valley.
Restrictions are in place limiting access to markets and trade shows involving poultry in attempts to stem the spread of the virus.
Commercial poultry producers in Alberta and Saskatchewan are also dealing with outbreaks with six operations in each province affected since September, after nearly a year without experiencing a case outside of non-commercial poultry coups.
The last case at a commercial operation in Manitoba was more than a year ago.
Only one poultry farm outside of Western Canada has been affected this fall.
More than 3.7 million birds have been euthanized in B.C., the most by any province, since the first Canada-wide outbreak of avian influenza started in 2022. Alberta ranks second with more than 1.5 million birds put down.
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