Two poultry farms in southern Ontario are in quarantine due to a new strain of bird flu that is spreading around the world. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu between the two poultry flocks on Monday. The agency did not say where the affected farms were located in southern Ontario, but there were reports that one farm was in Thamesford and the other in Waterloo-Wellington. In addition to quarantining the two farms, the agency is introducing movement control measures and recommends enhanced biosecurity for other farms in the area. “Avian influenza is spreading to wild bird populations around the world and is a major national concern as birds migrate to Canada,” the agency said. “The CFIA continues to remind anyone with poultry or other vulnerable birds to practice good biosafety habits to protect them from infectious animal diseases.” In recent months, other cases of this strain of avian influenza have been confirmed on commercial and non-commercial farms in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Avian influenza is not a major public health concern for healthy individuals who do not come into regular contact with infected birds. However, it can, in rare cases, cause disease in humans. Transmission to humans occurs when humans come in close contact with infected birds or highly contaminated environments. “People working with poultry suspected of being infected with avian influenza or in contact with such poultry are advised to wear protective clothing. That includes face masks, glasses, gloves and boots, “according to the CFIA.
