Canadian turkey farm quarantined
A turkey farm in Manitoba has been quarantined by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after several birds tested positive for an H5 strain of bird flu.
Following further testing officials have confirmed that the strain of avian flu discovered on the farm is H5N2 and not H5N1. H5N2 is common in wild birds such as ducks and geese, and has been found before in turkeys.
The farm is under quarantine, as are a nearby hatchery and two other farms that had contact with the turkey operation. All 8,200 turkeys on the farm will be destroyed within days, officials said.
It was detected after the producer noticed some birds were not laying eggs. Turkeys from the operation do not end up in the food chain; the farm produces eggs, which go to turkey growers.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is leading the investigation into how the strain infected the turkeys. The discovery comes almost two months after Manitoba required all livestock and poultry producers to register their farms to help authorities quickly deal with animal and public health emergencies.
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