VANCOUVER — Nearly 60,000 turkeys from a B.C. farm will be killed after Saturday’s positive test result for avian flu.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of H5 avian flu virus after initial tests showed the turkeys from E&H Farms, in Abbotsford, B.C., were infected.
Abbotsford is about 70 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, near the U.S. border.
“All birds on the infected premises will be humanely euthanized and disposed of, in accordance with provincial environmental regulations and internationally accepted disease-control guidelines,” said the CFIA news release.
“Once all birds have been removed, the CFIA will oversee the cleaning and disinfection of the barns, vehicles, equipment and tools to eliminate any infectious material that may remain.”
The CFIA said further tests will be done to confirm the precise subtype of the virus; some subtypes of H5_are more virulent than others.
Twenty-two farms within a three-kilometre radius of E&H Farms have been under quarantine since Wednesday night.
Food safety is not at risk due to avian influenza viruses, as long as poultry products are properly handled and cooked thoroughly.
Avian flu rarely affects humans — unless the person has had close contact with infected birds.
“In order to limit any potential virus spread, the CFIA is applying restrictions on the movement of poultry and poultry products within three kilometres of the infected premises,” said the news release.
“The CFIA is relying on all backyard poultry owners to monitor their flocks and immediately report sick or dead birds. Poultry owners are urged to take an active role in protecting their flocks by employing strict biosecurity measures on their property.”
Any recent movement of birds, bird products and equipment involving the infected property will be probed by the CFIA, which is also conducting a thorough epidemiological investigation of the farm.
The B.C. Poultry Association, responsible for a $400-million industry, wasn’t surprised by Saturday’s news.
“It is very much what we expected,” said Ray Nickel, president of the association, which represents about 600 producers. “So they will proceed with the destruction order.
“The farmers are obviously upset and concerned about the process. . . . A mass cull on your farm is pretty traumatic. They (CFIA) will monitor it very closely and test the farms in the three-kilometre zone weekly. And this doesn’t affect consumers, which is good.”
On Friday, security guards stood outside E&H Farms, a tidy spread with a cream-coloured house and several large outbuildings.
The tests were ordered after a farm worker noticed some of the turkeys were having respiratory problems. A Ministry of Agriculture spokeswoman said the farm has been diligent about biosecurity.
One highly pathogenic version of the H5 virus is H5N1, which has killed about 250 people.
Many farmers with the “Avian Influenza Measures in Effect” and orange marker sign on the front of their properties declined to comment on the matter on Friday, but one, who asked only to be known as Rob, said they are hoping for the best.
“We’re still waiting,” Rob said. “We’re just hoping it is not the bad one.”
In 2004, 17 million birds from the Fraser Valley were slaughtered — the largest animal cull in Canadian history. The virus was never detected in humans.
Farmers have been working to improve biosecurity and communication since the 2004 outbreak.
http://www.theprovince.com/Health/story.html?id=1215218 
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