1st case of avian flu detected in crow in Quebec's Gaspé peninsula

The Quebec government has confirmed a first case of suspected avian flu in Gaspésie. An infected crow was found in the municipality of Bonaventure, according to Quebec's Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP).

The town of New Richmond, which is part of the municipality, issued a warning to its residents on Monday asking them to report any dead or dying birds.

The Quebec government has been monitoring the spread of avian flu in the province, particularly in poultry farms where the mortality rate among flocks is heightened. 

In an interview with Breakaway, biologist Ariane Massé, who works for Quebec's wildlife ministry, said the discovery was not surprising.

"It's normal to see wild birds with the virus, and specifically for birds like crows, they are predators and scavengers," she said. "It's possible that that bird scavenged on another dead bird that was infected with [the virus]." 

As a result, it's not unusual for crows to die of the virus, she said.

The crow was sent to Quebec's centre for wildlife health in Saint-Hyacinthe, about 60 kilometres east of Montreal, where researchers performed a post-portem examination to determine the cause of death.

The centre said it suspected avian flu to be the cause of death but could not confirm it until further analysis is done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Efforts made to prevent spread

Massé said aquatic birds such as ducks, geese, and seagulls are especially prone to carrying the virus. She explained that the birds spread it during their migrations. 

The biosecurity and wildlife health expert urged people to refrain from touching any dead or injured wild birds with their bare hands to prevent further contamination.

Instead, people should report their sighting to the wildlife ministry, which will send officers to investigate.

Some organizations that work with animals have been putting additional measures in place to protect their animals, such as the Bonaventure Bioparc. 

The park separated its wild birds from the other species, and employees have to disinfect their boots when walking from one enclosure to another.

"For now, everything is going well," said the park's general manager, Marie-Josée Bernard, in an interview with Radio-Canada. "We took precautions a bit in advance as we saw what was coming."

Mysterious bird deaths in Magdalen Islands

Meanwhile, Quebec's wildlife ministry is also investigating a series of mysterious bird deaths on the Magdalen Islands. Many residents have reported finding dead gannets on the shoreline in the past few days.

"Right now we don't know the cause of mortality," Massé told Breakaway.

LISTEN | What Quebec knows so far about the avian flu in the Gaspé peninsula: 

Massé said it was still too soon to know whether or not the deaths are related, but she said the ministry is not ruling out avian flu, among other diseases.

She said wildlife agents have collected bird carcasses to study them.

There have been 49 cases of the flu detected in wild birds, and seven cases in farmed birds in the province so far this year, according to Massé. 

The cases are predominantly in the Eastern Townships and Montérégie region, but some have also been reported in the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, and the capital region.