There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that has killed millions of chickens and turkeys on farms across North America going back to early 2022, but a drop in the number of new cases in the month of May is a positive sign for the poultry sector. The… Read More
Category: Disease outbreaks
It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the BSE crisis struck Canada. The memories of that time still feel vivid, as if it were just yesterday. Last week’s comments from a farmer in the Maritimes about the ongoing impact of the crisis reminded me of its lasting impacts. Even after two… Read More
Cold weather calving is tricky and that can be compounded by rapidly changing weather conditions. Bringing cattle in to a new environment because of cold or wet weather can introduce a new management issue: pathogen spread. Gerald Stokka, the extension veterinarian at North Dakota State University, says that increased snowfall or wet weather means that… Read More
The Plant and Animal Health Centre located in B.C.’s Sumas Prairie will be rebuilt in a new, more secure location, says the B.C. government. The current lab was heavily damaged in the flood of late 2021, and the government says that although it has largely returned to full operation, its location leaves it vulnerable to… Read More
The highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in domestic poultry escalated late last week, as Ontario’s chief vet announced the suspension of any activities where domestic birds would co-mingle and a prime poultry processing area of Manitoba was placed in a quarantine zone. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) updates infected premises and birds impacted each… Read More
A new wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) coinciding with the fall migratory season is sweeping across western and central Canada, with confirmed cases of the deadly virus on poultry farms from B.C. to Ontario over the past week. As it was in spring, Alberta remains the hardest hit province. The Canadian Food Inspection… Read More
Laboratory results have confirmed that the recent death of nine animals within the RM of Piapot #110, was due to anthrax. The RM is located within the southern part of the province just east of Maple Creek. Saskatchewan Agriculture posted a release August 24, 2022, reminding producers to be on the lookout for anthrax in… Read More
This is a summary of a longer blog article posted on BeefResearch.ca. Read the full story here. As fall quickly approaches, cattle producers should be mindful about preventing disease as they prepare to transport herds, bring in replacements, pull bulls, or make other adjustments for the changing seasons. When focusing on the logistics of bringing… Read More
A Saskatchewan horse has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), a viral disease that attacks horses’ immune systems and that is transmittable through bodily fluids. The horse carrying the virus is in Rosemount No. 378, which is in west central Saskatchewan between Biggar and Landis, and encompasses the municipality of Cando. According to the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance… Read More
The number of domestic poultry that have died due to highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada is approaching the two million mark. As of May 12, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says an estimated 1.82 million birds on farms have either died from the deadly H5N1 virus or been euthanized as part of an… Read More
Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS), have announced that a vaccine candidate for African Swine Fever (ASF) has passed an important safety test required for regulatory approval, moving the vaccine one step closer to commercial availability. African swine fever is a highly contagious, viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose… Read More
Ontario’s Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) has released new information on confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases and the corresponding 10 km buffered biosecurity advisory area. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of HPAI, subtype H5N1 on 12 premises total. Since April 6, five new sites have been confirmed. They are: April… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the first three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry in Western Canada. The CFIA says two commercial flocks in Mountain View County and one in Ponoka County tested positive on April 6 for the H5N1 subtype that has been spreading across North America since first… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency lists six confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Ontario, as of April 5th. Two of the six cases are in backyard poultry flocks. Currently, there are two control zones set up. Movement of poultry or poultry products in or out of a control zone requires a special permit,… Read More
As of March 30, there are three confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza on commercial poultry farms in Ontario. That’s in addition to a case in a commercial turkey flock in Nova Scotia and positive findings in wild birds in six Canadian provinces. The H5N1 pathotype has also been found in commercial flocks in… Read More