As the south Island faces its first positive case of avian flu, the province is calling for quicker support for farmers.
Avian influenza is a viral infection that affects food-producing birds, pet birds and wild birds, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency leads the response in Canada. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, the H5N1 strain was confirmed in B.C. as part of a global outbreak.
The viral infection officially landed on the south Island with a positive test reported Nov. 21 in non-commercial poultry. Identified only as in the Capital Region, the CFIA designated a primary control zone on Nov. 27 that covers a swatch of Saanich and Victoria from Sinclair Road to Fort at Douglas and along Dallas Road.
“It is a big deal, obviously very devastating for the farmers and farms involved,” said Saanich South MLA Lana Popham, who was recently reappointed as minister of food and agriculture for the province. “A regiment gets put in place, it’s very strict because it’s a very very difficult disease to control.”
The federal response requires killing and appropriately disposing of birds, which takes a toll on the specific property in question. It can also limit equipment movement.
“It makes it difficult for everybody really,” Popham added, noting the federal agency calls for more biosecurity in the surrounding area.
A pair of provincial orders dictate commercial poultry be contained indoors and no commingling at things such as shows and auctions.
“Even small-scale farmers try to pick up some interesting chickens to add to the flock. Right now that’s limited,” Popham said.
The contagious viral infection primarily affects birds but can infect humans and other mammals. Most cases are reported during migration season when wild birds carrying the virus are in high numbers in B.C.
“Knocking on wood we’re getting to the end of this difficult season, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet,” Popham said.
B.C. currently has 54 sites identified impacting about 7,242,000 birds as of Nov. 26. In contrast, Alberta has four, Quebec three and Manitoba and Saskatchewan one site each. While it may be rare in Greater Victoria, other parts of Vancouver Island have dealt with the viral infection that descends during migration season.
Consumers can feel confident the food supply chain is in good shape, said Popham, who most recently served as minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, but was agriculture minister from 2017 to 2022.
“I don’t see it affecting the supply of poultry or eggs but it's still a challenging time for farmers. It definitely changes the way operations work during this time.”
There have been no cases reported in dairy cattle in Canada and no evidence of avian influenza in samples of milk.
Canada’s only known human case of the avian flu hospitalized a B.C. teen earlier this month.
An extensive, multi-agency public-health investigation found no other human cases or indication of human-to-human transmission, according to the province.
“To date, all tests on humans, animals and environmental samples related to this investigation have been negative for influenza H5. While it is reassuring that no further cases have been identified, officials have also not been able to definitively identify the source of the young person’s infection,” the province said.
Residents can report a sick or dead bird to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-800-567-2033. Other recommendations include not touching or feeding wild birds by hand, and cleaning backyard feeders and baths well and regularly.
Domestic and wild birds should be kept separate and pets protected by keeping them indoors or on leash to prevent contact with wild birds and droppings. For more safety information visit Canada.ca/Avian-flu.
“We’ve got quite a lot of families living on farms affected by this. That’s always my main concern,” Popham said.
The cost associated with animal loss and cleanup can be high, and while the CFIA supports farmers, it does involve a repayment which can take too long, Popham has heard.
“We’re advocating to the federal government asking if those payments could be expedited.”
