The infection comes as a highly-infectious strain of H5N1 sweeps over North America
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A flock of poultry in a Kelowna backyard has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported Monday night.
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All of the birds have been destroyed.
According to a statement, the CFIA and BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food have placed the infected property under quarantine and notified all poultry producers within a 12-kilometre radius.
The infection comes as a highly-infectious strain of avian flu sweeps over North America. A case was detected in a bald eagle carcass found in Delta earlier this month, with another case being found in a bald eagle in Vancouver in February.
“BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working closely with the CFIA and BC poultry producers to ensure enhanced prevention and preparedness measures are in place to protect poultry flocks in BC,” the statement read.
Outbreaks of the same strain have also been detected in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
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On Sunday, the CFIA reported finding a first case of avian flu in Manitoba.
According to the Government of Canada, highly pathogenic H5N1 can be transmitted to humans. However, it is not considered a threat for healthy people who are not in regular contact with infected birds.
Two severe outbreaks in BC in 2004 forced producers to cull millions of birds.
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