BC given all clear on avian influenza

Press release –

VICTORIA – Earlier this week, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that Canada has achieved a national disease-free status for avian influenza, based on the standards of the World Organization for Animal Health, announced Agriculture and Lands Minister Steve Thomson.

This confirmation follows an earlier notice on April 3, 2009 that movement restrictions had been lifted on birds and bird products in British Columbia after the presence of H5 avian influenza had been confirmed in two commercial poultry operations in southern B.C. in January this year.

“The Province learned a lot from the avian influenza incidents of 2004 and 2005. We want to thank our federal counterparts at the CFIA and all parties involved for their outstanding contributions during the recent outbreak,” Thomson said. “The poultry industry is worth $2.65 billion dollars to the economy of British Columbia and as a result of this co-operation we were able to minimize the impact to industry and get 53 affected farms promptly back to business.”

Since 2004, the provincial and federal governments have contributed $3 million to help industry implement mandatory biosecurity measures and improve emergency response systems. A farm identification database is kept current to assist rapid response to any outbreak. All producers’ barns have been identified – locations, capacity and type of activities are known – and the vast majority of poultry producers have completed biosecurity farm plans.

Two local poultry industry representatives, Rick Thiessen and Walter Seimens, spent countless volunteer hours at the Emergency Operations Centre in Abbotsford working with federal, provincial and industry contacts during the H5 presence.

“As an industry we are committed to ensuring that the poultry sector can react quickly to an outbreak of avian influenza,” said Theissen. “We recognize the value of working together and appreciated the opportunity to be at the Abbotsford Emergency Operations Centre, on the front line, supporting the industry.”

The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands is currently piloting information sessions to educate small and backyard flock owners on biosecurity and disease control measures.

The Province is also in the process of commissioning a $14-million Containment Level 3 Lab in Abbotsford, which will allow for a more rapid response in the event of another AI outbreak. This is only the second such lab of its kind in Canada.

Press release
June 27, 2009
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands