About 95 layer hens on a “non-commercial” farm near Chilliwack are the Fraser Valley’s latest cases of avian influenza, but not of the same strain seen at 12 other farms in December. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Saturday announced a quarantine on the Chilliwack farm after confirming, effective Feb. 2, that table egg-laying birds […] Read more
Hens near Chilliwack catch H5N1 avian flu
New Washington poultry quarantine set up near B.C. border
Reuters — The state of Washington said Tuesday it has established a third poultry quarantine zone just outside British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, after state officials discovered a flock of about 100 birds infected with an avian influenza virus. The Washington State Department of Agriculture adopted an emergency rule on Sunday to establish the new quarantine […] Read more
Husband of B.C. woman with H7N9 also infected
Toronto | Reuters –– The husband of a woman who tested positive for the H7N9 avian flu virus earlier this week was also infected, likely from a common source during their visit to China, federal and provincial officials confirmed Friday. The couple, residents of British Columbia, exhibited symptoms one day apart and likely did not […] Read more
Canada expands blocks on U.S. poultry, eggs
Canada’s avian flu-related ban on imports of poultry, birds and eggs from Washington and Oregon has been expanded to include the same products from California and Idaho. The ban was expanded after outbreaks of avian flu in poultry in the past week in both states, including a backyard flock of chickens in Idaho infected with […] Read more
California turkey farm quarantined after H5N8 detected
Chicago | Reuters –– A California turkey farm has been quarantined after confirmation of the first case of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza strain in the Pacific Northwest, and in a commercial flock, the U.S. government said. The news on Saturday came just weeks after China banned U.S. poultry after an […] Read more
B.C. resident positive for H7N9 avian flu
Vancouver | Reuters –– A British Columbia resident has tested positive for the H7N9 avian flu virus in the first documented case of the infection in a human in North America, the federal government said Monday. The person had returned to Canada from China and is recovering from the illness in self-isolation, the Public Health […] Read more
Idaho confirms avian flu cases as Washington imposes new quarantine
Salmon, Idaho | Reuters –– Idaho officials said avian flu was confirmed in backyard chickens in the southwest of the state on Wednesday as Washington state quarantined poultry and eggs in areas where the virus was detected in chickens, geese and ducks. The highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of avian flu was first found in Pacific […] Read more
New outbreak of avian flu found in Washington state
Seattle | Reuters — A third outbreak of avian flu has been detected in Washington state, prompting agriculture officials on Tuesday to warn bird owners to keep their flocks away from migratory birds that have spread viruses from Oregon to British Columbia. State and federal agriculture officials culled about 120 backyard chickens, geese and ducks […] Read more
China bans U.S. poultry, eggs imports amid avian flu fears
Chicago | Reuters — China has banned all imports of U.S. poultry, poultry products and eggs amid recent reports of highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza found in the Pacific Northwest, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday. All such products currently en route to the country will either be destroyed or returned, according to […] Read more
Cargill to shutter U.S. turkey plant
Reuters — Agricultural conglomerate Cargill said Friday it will shutter its turkey and cooked meats processing plant in Springfield, Mo., and move the operations to Nebraska City, Nebraska, and Waco, Texas. Cargill said it will close its Springfield plant, which employs 118 people, on March 11. The decision came about after Cargill assessed its turkey […] Read more
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