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BC has the most bird flu outbreaks in Canada

Abbotsford, BC –

Fourteen months after Dave Martens’ chicken coop on Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie was flooded, repairs are almost complete and he’s finally got his birds back.

“So far, our birds are healthy and doing well,” he said.

And he hopes it stays that way.

Dozens of other poultry farmers in BC continue to struggle after their flocks were hit by avian flu.

“Certainly our thinking is with a lot of manufacturers that are having a hard time right now,” said Martens.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 70 farms in BC are currently infected, affecting more than 3.6 million birds.

By comparison, the next highest numbers in Canada are found in Alberta, where 14 farms and 1.4 million poultry were affected. Ontario has 10 infected facilities.

“It is very stressful because there is so much uncertainty,” said Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Emergency Operations Center.

But he says things have improved somewhat.

“We are really working on the cleanup phase, trying to get the affected farms back into production,” he said. “It was a real struggle. From mid-November to Christmas, we seem to be getting new cases every day… That’s definitely self-correcting.”

Around that time, B.C.’s agriculture minister said workers were having a hard time meeting the needs of the shrinking population on infected farms.

“It is problematic to not be able to reach all farms in a timely manner, noting that it is a federal responsibility,” said Pam Alexis, BC Minister of Agriculture and Food.

“We actually called and worked with the federal government to set up groups to help tackle population decline so we could do it in a timely manner. So that was one of the biggest hurdles we faced,” said Alexis.

“Everyone is doing their best to try to contain further outbreaks,” she said, adding that there have been eight new outbreaks this month.

Nationally and internationally, manufacturers are looking for a solution to a problem that Nickel says has become endemic.

“Our bird populations are carrying the virus and that is something we will have to strategize not only in BC and here in Canada, but also in other parts of North America,” he said.

Vaccination of poultry could be part of the potential solution.

“For one thing, vaccination is something that is being seriously considered and considered and there are ways that are being done,” Nickel said.

“It is also complicated because it has to be done together with our trading partners and other countries,” he added, noting that bird flu is “an animal health issue, not a matter of human health.”

Meanwhile, farmers like Martens are working to keep their herds disease-free.

“It was stressful, obviously. That’s how we make our income. That’s how we make a living,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can and we’re practicing good biosecurity and we’re not letting anyone into our barns.”

This month alone, Martens completed most of the rebuilding and repairs needed following the 2021 flood disaster. He lost 40,000 birds in the floods.

He hopes the bird flu will stay out of his farm and he can avoid further losses.



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