50,000 birds destroyed at Canadian farm because of Avian flu - USDA closes border

[Pleye]

There were 4 stories on this at the same news outlet in a couple hours so I didn't know which title to use.

50,000 birds killed at a farm in Canada, not expected to pass to humans but workers offered vaccine in case, USDA closes border to poultry from Saskatchewan.

All at a time when millions of birds are in migration through the area!


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirms the strain of the potentially-deadly virus is not one that is transmittable to humans. This particular strain is known as H7N3.

The affected farm is located not far from Regina Beach, north of Regina, Saskatchewan.

The CFIA has quarantined the farm. It started to block off entry to operation, Wednesday.

As a means of control, all of the birds will be destroyed in what the CFIA describes as a "humane way." In the meantime, all farms within a 10-kilometre radius will be closely monitored for any sign of infection.

As of now, the agency doesn't know the origin of the virus.



Everyone involved with the farm is receiving a flu shot and anti-viral medication.

The strain of bird flu found, H7N3, is of a minimal or no risk to humans.

[zhan]

Silly board isn't letting me do my post ...
That's odd. I stripped out all the quote tags and paragraphs, and now it likes it?


Avian flu confirmed in Saskatchewan
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/09/27/chicken-farm.html

anyway:
H5N1 - People killing strain
H7N3 - This strain
Two different animals. No need to panic yet. Still, it'll be a bad year for poultry farmers in Canada.

Sask bird flu outbreak means halt to chicken exports but little risk to humans
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n0927115A

Article talked about people who caught this strain from the birds in 2004 only got inflamed eyes, nothing bad.

[iwillnotstumble]

thats 30min drive from where i am :panic

[fishersofmen]

yeah, this is NOT good. Its in Mexico too.:mazy

[Pleye]

Zhan, thanks I forgot to post the link.

iwillnotstumble, I live pretty nearby as well. That's how I caught the headlines.

My concern with this guy is that birds have begun the migration South. Thankfully this is at a farm, and some chickens are being used for eggs so I hope they are contained in a building and not free-range.

I don't know how likely it is....but remember in BC when all those wild birds had to be destroyed? Imagine that a flock of geese became infected on their way South. I know it happens all the time but the number of birds migrating is high right now. I'm not a scientist, but I like to ponder the possibilities.

[canuckmedic]

Well the media is really downplaying this here. It's not an avian flu that is supposedly dangerous to humans, but honestly it's hitting alittle too close to home for me.

[Pleye]

Me too. Now they are saying that Japan is not accepting any poultry from Canada. Also, the annual migration of hunters may be smaller because they won't let them bring their kill back.

But even if it doesn't affect humans, it is still scary isn't it? I mean, some of those migrating birds head to the US and infect birds there. Then Central and South America. I've heard this hypothesized before but here we are, peak migration time for millions of birds and there they are, a farm on the edge of a lake with an outbreak of avian flu. I don't know if they are in the migratory path or not but still.....I like to ponder the possibilities.

[AllforHim]

:fear:pray

[House of Light]

They seized these birds at a port about 30 miles from here. It is not the bird flu that is THE ONE that can kill or harm humans. In fact, they are loading up garbage trucks with the waterfowl, taken at the border from US hunters, and dumping them in landfills. Seriously, if it was such a big deal, they would be destroying the birds and not dumping them.

[Pleye]

They ARE destroying 50,000 birds at the farm where the flu was found as well as any farm in a 3km radius.

I can't answer for why the port is dumping them. I have to assume that a flu would basically cease to exist as the host decays. Maybe if you bury them well, say 6 feet under, there would be no concern as other birds cannot reach them.

But yes, it is a big deal. As I stated before birds are migrating all over right now. As said before, it is not impossible for this to transfer to humans, just unlikely.

Seriously, if it was such a big deal, they would be destroying the birds and not dumping them.

Well, using the same logic, if it could NOT be transferred to humans, and was NOT a big deal, they wouldn't have vaccinated the workers at the farm where the birds were found.