European Union, Canada’s 30 countries limiting poultry, egg imports during the epidemic of bird flu, says group

According to the industry lobby group, the European Union and 30 countries are limiting Canada’s poultry and egg imports as this year’s deadly bird flu infects herds in almost every state.

The Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council emailed the range of trade restrictions, with some banning all imports from Canada and others restricting restrictions on affected states. I said there is. According to CPEPC President Jean-Michel Laurin, the EU and the United States have enacted measures that apply only to products within 10 km of each infected farm.

According to the latest statistics from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, about 1.37 million birds have been killed or killed by pathogens in Canada since the H5N1 strain appeared in the country in December. Experts emphasize that food supplies are safe and the domestic supply chain is not yet under pressure. The H5N1 virus rarely infects humans, and when infected, symptoms are usually limited to conjunctivitis or mild respiratory illness.

The CFIA states that its website has identified 71 sites in the country where H5N1 occurred. Was detected. Cases have been reported in all states except Prince Edward Island. This outbreak also affects poultry in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Bird flu spreads easily through bird droppings and respiratory secretions. Migratory birds can carry the virus. The Canadian poultry industry has launched biosecurity measures to limit the spread between farms after more than 16 million birds have been killed in Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Last outbreak in 2004.

So far, this year’s damage has been less serious. According to CPEPC, in Canada’s egg sector, approximately 0.17% of commercial laying hens and 0.17% of commercial egg farms are affected by the flu. In the United States, about 8.7 percent of commercial laying hens are affected, the organization said.

“We really don’t know what’s ahead,” Laurin added.

Some countries ban all Canadian poultry products (live, fresh, frozen, cooked), while others focus on specific birds and products.

Resabi Shop Spencer, a spokesman for Chicken Farmers in Canada, said that only 5 to 11 percent of domestic production is normally allocated to exports.

Investigators have identified the first Canadian case of bird flu in Ontario in 1966, she said. After its first outbreak, the virus was not seen again in British Columbia until 2004.

Since that devastating wave, farmers have been prepared for the virus. According to Bishop Spencer, biosecurity measures such as lowering vehicle tires and wheelwells at farm gates have helped curb inter-business expansion. Farmers are also taking steps within their property, such as assigning specific boots to specific areas.

According to Bishop Spencer, this is the first year that bird flu has hit multiple states at the same time. She added that the viral load of migratory birds is very strong this year.

“What we haven’t seen this year … is a huge spread from farm to farm,” she said. “It all seems to come from wild birds.”

The entire industry seems to have survived the outbreak, but the virus Crushed individual producers With an infected herd. As of May 3, 23 sites were infected in Alberta, and as of April 28, producers had lost about 600,000 birds. According to CFIA data, Alberta has more sites of infection than any other state and has the highest number of dead birds.

In April, BC ordered commercial poultry farmers with more than 100 birds to move their herds indoors until the end of spring migration in May. As of April 28, the state had lost 50,000 birds at two sites of infection. Currently, we are counting 5 infection sites.

The CFIA recommends that small herds and pet bird owners lock them up until the end of the migration period to prevent contact with wild birds and reduce the risk of disease transmission.

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