The local mayor says that, at a commercial poultry farm in western Quebec, Avian flu has been found and about 30 people are off work while the operation is sterilized.
We are very surprised. We know it is a company which is careful in its protocols and its procedures, said Saint-André-Avellin Mayor Jean-René Carrière in a French interview with Radio-Canada.
We felt spared. We had a feeling of being safe, then we realized that no one is safe. If there are counties which have been spared until now, redouble your efforts: you never know when the flu will come to your area.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported the case on Jan. 3.
According to the CFIA’s record, It’s the first instance of avian flu being detected in the Outaouais since the resurgence of bird flu across Canada in 2022.
The poultry farm where the flu was found did not reply to interview requests from Radio-Canada.
The poultry farm in the town roughly about 80 kilometers northeast of downtown Ottawa is one of only four locations in Quebec currently hit with the flu.
Most of the other 57 epidemics are in British Colombia. In Ontario there are no infected premises.
Saint-André-Avellin falls within the regional municipality of Papineau, where Benoit Lauzon is the warden.
He told Radio-Canada he’s concerned because there are other poultry operations, including hobby farms, close by.
Lauzon said, after speaking to some owners, he realized that, they are very worried about how they should handle this situation.
That’s why we absolutely need to communicate with local health authorities, who will give us the correct information to tell people how they must protect their animals and protect themselves.
In Western Quebec, a wide area around Saint-André-Avellin has been dubbed an infection zone by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
According to Quebec’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, avian flu is rarely spreads from birds to humans.
When it is transmitted, the virus usually infects individuals who work in close contact with poultry in environments such as farms, slaughterhouses or live poultry markets.
No sustained transmission between individuals has been observed. The CFIA says avian influenza is not a significant public health concern for healthy individuals who aren’t in regular contact with infected birds.
The virus can make birds very sick, causing symptoms like coughing, sneezing and erratic behavior.
The agency says individuals should stay away from any birds which appear to be sick and call them or a local veterinarian with any concerns.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/avian-flu-outaouais-commercial-poultry-farm-1.7076816
