Avian flu detected in Manitoba for the 1st time this year

Manitoba has confirmed its first case of avian influenza in domestic birds for 2024 at a commercial poultry operation in Portage la Prairie.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the viral infection was detected on Nov. 26. Similar cases have previously been detected in the province in 2022 and 2023.  

CFIA has set a primary control zone in the area where the disease was detected. 

Avian flu, also known as Type A H5N1, is a highly transmissible and usually mild disease in geese, swans and seagulls as well as domestic birds such as chickens and turkeys. It has also spread to mammals, incuding people. 

The virus was recently detected in Southern California dairy farms where government officials declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.

"H5N1 has expanded over the last few years," said Jason Kindrachuk, Canada Research Chair in the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba. 

But for the general public the risk is still fairly low, as we are not seeing "any sort of indication of sustained human-to-human transmission," Kindrachuk said, adding cooking or pasteurization of raw foods, including eggs and meat, works very well to eliminate the virus. 

Last month, the Public Health Agency of Canada said the risk of avian influenza infection is higher for those who have unprotected exposure to infected animals. 

That's why officials encourage people who work closely with livestock, such as poultry and dairy farmers, to wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, masks and gloves.