'Code red': More than 85 thousand birds euthanized over avian flu concerns in Quebec

Fears over the spread of avian flu, also known as bird flu, pushed Canadian food authorities to euthanize thousands of birds in Quebec in recent days. 

Officials gassed about 75,000 chickens at a farm in Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby, Que. after the virus was detected one of two barns located at the same farm. Officials opted to euthanize birds in both buildings to keep the virus from spreading.

Meanwhile, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency killed 11,000 turkeys on a nearby farm for the same reason, according to Pierre-Luc Leblanc, president of Poultry Farmers Quebec

‘It’s a big problem,” said Leblanc. He says the area is on red alert due to the high volume of farms located close together -- there are about 200 within a 10 kilometre radius.

“The virus is very contagious,” said Leblanc. “The risk for the other farms is really high.”

Leblanc says the city has implemented strict protective measures to limit the potential for spread.

A chicken looks in the barn at Honey Brook Farm in Schuylkill Haven, Pa., on Monday, April 18, 2022. The state Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of avian influenza in Lancaster County on Saturday. (Lindsey Shuey/Republican-Herald via AP)

 

The disease can spread through contact with infected birds. It can also spread through contaminated manure, litter, clothing, footwear, vehicles, equipment, feed and water. Farmers can introduce the virus to their flocks by carrying trace amounts of the virus in droppings on their boots or clothing.

In Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby, vehicles are disinfected before entry into farms, and barns are cleaned frequently, along with boots and gear worn and used by farmers.

Symptoms of bird flu include sudden mortality, haemorrhages, poorly formed eggs, which may be soft shelled, or lack a shell altogether.

It is almost always lethal, leaving farmers with the difficult decision to euthanize or watch the virus spread.

It is not, however, easily transmitted to humans. The Canadian government says there is no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry or eggs could transmit H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to humans, though direct contact with birds or contaminated spaces can lead to human infection, in rare cases.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will compensate the affected farmers for the significant revenue hit associated with losing an entire flock of birds.

Restarting production can be extremely challenging to farmers, as restarting flocks can take up to six months.