Avian flu: More than 3M birds affected in Canada amid global outbreak

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the ongoing response to the country's avian influenza outbreak is 'unique' for this time of the year.

Ahead of Easter, an “unprecedented” global outbreak of avian flu is ruffling feathers in Canadian poultry, with millions of birds affected across the country in the past five months.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) told Global News it is responding to the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1, in small flocks and commercial and non-commercial farms with birds across Canada.

Since the beginning of the fall migration period in September 2023, an estimated 3,358,547 birds in flocks have been impacted by avian flu, Dr. Cathy Furness, deputy chief veterinary officer at the CFIA, said in an email Friday. This does not include wild birds.

“The current global avian influenza outbreak has been unprecedented,” she said, adding that other countries are also grappling with the spread.

Typically, the CFIA responds to avian flu outbreaks on a seasonal basis, during bird migratory periods in spring and fall.

“The ongoing response is unique in the number of detections, the geographical distribution of outbreaks and its long duration, which has extended beyond typical migratory periods,” Furness said.

Avian influenza can infect multiple species of domestic chickens, turkeys, quails and guinea fowl as well as wild and pet birds, according to the CFIA.

The turkey industry was one of the hardest hit by the avian flu in 2022, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says, and that disrupted holiday supply in the country that year.