Bird flu in Ottawa, Kingston and western Ontario has farmers, wildlife watchers on alert

Farmers and wildlife watchers are on guard after some poultry flocks and wild birds — including a Canada goose in Ottawa and a redhead duck in Kingston, Ont. — recently tested positive for a deadly strain of bird flu. 

Canada has seen a limited number of outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu so far this year, said Dr. Shayan Sharif, a professor and associate dean with the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph.

"We have to make sure that the virus is contained very effectively and very successfully at this point in time," he said. 

The virus rarely infects humans. However, it can make birds very sick, causing anything from coughing and sneezing to erratic behaviour.

Last week, a volunteer with bird rescue group Safe Wings Ottawa confirmed a bystander's report of a disoriented goose by the Rideau River shore near Billings Bridge.  

"Considering that it was off balance, had neurological symptoms … we thought it would be most prudent to call the Canadian Wildlife Service," said Anouk Hoedeman, Safe Wings' co-founder and co-ordinator.

The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative confirmed the goose was infected with the H5N1 strain.

A duck in Kingston, a red-tailed hawk from New Hamburg, Ont., and a red-breasted merganser from Point Pelee National Park have also tested positive for the strain in the last two weeks.

While bird flu cases are found every year, they are usually of the low-pathogenic sort — unlike the strain currently striking Canada and other parts of the globe, said a wildlife pathologist for the co-operative's Ontario office. 

"This one is actually causing severe illness and death of wild birds in large numbers, which we haven't seen previously," Brian Stevens said.

There have been major outbreaks and "die-offs" in Europe and Africa and recent reports of die-offs of wild birds as a direct result of the virus in North America, Stevens continued. 

"Any time we have a highly pathogenic strain, there is always that concern that it could jump into both commercial or backyard flocks of poultry."

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has already placed three Ontario commercial turkey farms and two backyard flocks in the province, including one north of Peterborough, Ont., under quarantine after animals at each site became infected with the strain. 

The agency — which has called this avian flu "a significant national concern as birds migrate to Canada" — is keeping an updated list of affected sites here.