December 8, 2014

A fifth poultry farm in the Canadian province of British Columbia has been quarantined after the discovery of avian flu on the property. Samples from the turkey farm have been sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and preliminary test indicate it is the H5 strain of the virus, however, further testing will be conducted. Six percent of Canada’s poultry is exported and the ongoing outbreak has prompted the U.S. to ban all poultry imports from British Columbia, while South Korea and South Africa have banned all poultry imports from the whole of Canada, and Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and Taiwan have all imposed various restrictions on Canadian poultry imports. The chief veterinary officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states that none of the bans or restrictions are permanent, the outbreak is being controlled, and with proper handling and cooking, the virus does not pose a threat to food safety. So far, 80,000 birds have been culled from the first four farms affected, and the latest turkey farm to be quarantined has the capacity for 60,000 birds.

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