Charsee
01-27-2009, 10:22 AM
<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Becky Rynor, Canwest News Service
Workers prepare a barn in Abbotsford, B.C. for a cull. A confirmed case of avian flu will lead to the culling of thousands of turkeys in the Fraser Valley.Ward Perrin/Canwest News ServiceWorkers prepare a barn in Abbotsford, B.C. for a cull. A confirmed case of avian flu will lead to the culling of thousands of turkeys in the Fraser Valley.
The mass destruction of thousands of turkeys on a farm near Abbotsford, B.C., began Monday after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a positive test result for avian flu over the weekend.
"Today the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has started the humane destruction of approximately 60,000 birds on the infected premises in British Columbia where H5 avian influenza has been confirmed," said Sandra Stephens, a CFIA disease control specialist.
She said the turkeys were being destroyed with carbon dioxide gas. The bodies will be composted inside the barns and monitored to ensure the virus is rendered inactive.
After seven to 10 days, Ms. Stephens said the carcasses will then be removed from the barn to complete the composting process.
Ms. Stephens said 23 other poultry operations within the three-kilometre radius around the infected farm remain under quarantine and are being closely monitored.
"Any movement of birds and poultry products from the premises under quarantine require the negative test for avian influenza prior to movement for any purpose," she said.
One additional farm outside that three kilometre radius was also placed under quarantine Monday.
"Birds on that premises will be tested for avian influenza as well," Ms. Stephens said.
Meanwhile, she said testing continues at a CFIA laboratory to confirm the pathogenicity, sub-type and strain of the virus. Those results should be known within days.
Ray Nickel, president of the B.C. Poultry Association, said Monday that the process of "putting the birds to sleep" is pretty quick. But he said the emotional and financial toll of the slaughter is still to come.
"It is a huge toll on you. Not only emotionally but physically from a business operational standpoint too," Mr. Nickel said.
In 2004, Mr. Nickel lost a flock of 60,000 laying chickens in a cull in the Fraser Valley that ultimately saw 17 million birds destroyed due to an outbreak of avian influenza. It was the largest animal cull in Canadian history. He said his financial loss then amounted to about $8,000, but also lamented "the emotional side of seeing that many birds destroyed.
"We grow and produce product for human consumption. A lot of us have chosen this vocation because we have a heart for agriculture, for animals, and that's our business and our livelihoods. This is a significant assault on that."
Mr. Nickel said the operators of E&H Farms, brothers Shawn and Mike Heppel, are "very long-standing, longtime turkey farmers. They are successful business guys. But nobody is immune to something like this."
The brothers will be eligible for a compensation package from CFIA under the Health of Animals Act.
"It's supposed to involve the actual market value of those birds or those animals so that you have co-operation. We do not want avian influenza to spread to other flocks," Mr. Nickel said. "If I hadn't got compensation, in all likelihood I would have gone out of business."
Once the dead turkeys from Monday's cull have been removed from the barn, the building will be cleaned and disinfected. It will remain empty for 21 days.
Avian flu rarely affects humans unless the person has had close contact with infected birds.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...l?id=1219909-- (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1219909--)
Workers prepare a barn in Abbotsford, B.C. for a cull. A confirmed case of avian flu will lead to the culling of thousands of turkeys in the Fraser Valley.Ward Perrin/Canwest News ServiceWorkers prepare a barn in Abbotsford, B.C. for a cull. A confirmed case of avian flu will lead to the culling of thousands of turkeys in the Fraser Valley.
The mass destruction of thousands of turkeys on a farm near Abbotsford, B.C., began Monday after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a positive test result for avian flu over the weekend.
"Today the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has started the humane destruction of approximately 60,000 birds on the infected premises in British Columbia where H5 avian influenza has been confirmed," said Sandra Stephens, a CFIA disease control specialist.
She said the turkeys were being destroyed with carbon dioxide gas. The bodies will be composted inside the barns and monitored to ensure the virus is rendered inactive.
After seven to 10 days, Ms. Stephens said the carcasses will then be removed from the barn to complete the composting process.
Ms. Stephens said 23 other poultry operations within the three-kilometre radius around the infected farm remain under quarantine and are being closely monitored.
"Any movement of birds and poultry products from the premises under quarantine require the negative test for avian influenza prior to movement for any purpose," she said.
One additional farm outside that three kilometre radius was also placed under quarantine Monday.
"Birds on that premises will be tested for avian influenza as well," Ms. Stephens said.
Meanwhile, she said testing continues at a CFIA laboratory to confirm the pathogenicity, sub-type and strain of the virus. Those results should be known within days.
Ray Nickel, president of the B.C. Poultry Association, said Monday that the process of "putting the birds to sleep" is pretty quick. But he said the emotional and financial toll of the slaughter is still to come.
"It is a huge toll on you. Not only emotionally but physically from a business operational standpoint too," Mr. Nickel said.
In 2004, Mr. Nickel lost a flock of 60,000 laying chickens in a cull in the Fraser Valley that ultimately saw 17 million birds destroyed due to an outbreak of avian influenza. It was the largest animal cull in Canadian history. He said his financial loss then amounted to about $8,000, but also lamented "the emotional side of seeing that many birds destroyed.
"We grow and produce product for human consumption. A lot of us have chosen this vocation because we have a heart for agriculture, for animals, and that's our business and our livelihoods. This is a significant assault on that."
Mr. Nickel said the operators of E&H Farms, brothers Shawn and Mike Heppel, are "very long-standing, longtime turkey farmers. They are successful business guys. But nobody is immune to something like this."
The brothers will be eligible for a compensation package from CFIA under the Health of Animals Act.
"It's supposed to involve the actual market value of those birds or those animals so that you have co-operation. We do not want avian influenza to spread to other flocks," Mr. Nickel said. "If I hadn't got compensation, in all likelihood I would have gone out of business."
Once the dead turkeys from Monday's cull have been removed from the barn, the building will be cleaned and disinfected. It will remain empty for 21 days.
Avian flu rarely affects humans unless the person has had close contact with infected birds.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...l?id=1219909-- (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1219909--)