The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported cases of avian influenza in five commercial poultry flocks in Manitoba, marking the first instances since early May. The affected farms are currently undergoing the process of culling their birds, although specific details regarding the number of impacted birds and the type of poultry infected have not been disclosed.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a highly pathogenic disease that can lead to severe illness and fatalities in birds. The virus naturally circulates among wild birds and waterfowl and is typically spread by migratory birds, as highlighted by the CFIA.
All five cases in Manitoba were identified in October, with the initial case reported on October 9 at a farm located just south of Ste. Rose du Lac. The subsequent cases were discovered in the rural municipality of Bifrost-Riverton, followed by three additional cases in the rural municipality of Hanover.
The affected farms will remain under restrictions until the completion of thorough cleaning and disinfection processes. Following this, a 14-day “vacancy period” will be enforced during which domestic birds cannot be reintroduced to the premises. Owners have the option to seek compensation for the birds that have been culled.
While the risk of human infection remains low, the CFIA notes that there is a subtype of avian influenza, H5N1, which primarily affects birds but has been sporadically identified in other animals and rare cases in humans. The first human case of H5N1 in Canada was reported in a teenager from British Columbia in November 2024.
Canada initially detected bird flu in December 2021 among wild birds in Newfoundland and Labrador, followed by subsequent cases in both wild birds and poultry across all Canadian regions. The first instances of avian influenza in Manitoba were confirmed in a commercial poultry flock and wild birds in April 2022.
Biosecurity measures and vigilant monitoring have been instrumental in reducing the number of cases since then, according to the CFIA. With the risk of avian influenza heightened during the fall and spring migration of wild birds, the agency emphasizes the importance of maintaining effective biosecurity measures for bird owners to mitigate the spread of the virus.
