Avian influenza forces 12,000 turkeys to be killed at western N.S. barn

Previous recent cases were found in non-commercial animals

CBC News 

Officials with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency say 12,000 turkeys at a commercial barn in western Nova Scotia had to be euthanized after avian influenza was discovered at the farm.

The news was revealed during a Friday media briefing.

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral strain.

Prior to today, cases were discovered in a wild goose and a backyard flock of chickens that weren’t meant for commercial production.

Speaking on CBC’s Maritime Noon, Dr. Margaret McGeoghegan, a veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Atlantic division, said she wasn’t at liberty to disclose a specific location for the barn.

Restrictions at surrounding farms

She said there are other commercial producers in the area and that restrictions are in place for commercial operations within 10 kilometres of the affected barn to prevent the virus from spreading.

“Because of the intensity of the production system, the risk there is very high and also considering the fact that there is lots of waterways and lots of exposure to wild birds,” said McGeoghegan.

She said people in the industry are extremely concerned about the cases.

McGeoghegan said farms have strict biosecurity measures to try to prevent the virus from entering a farm. The virus, which is spread through airborne transmission, can be brought in inadvertently on shoes, equipment and clothing, she said.

“Because this strain is as highly pathogenic as it is, when it hits, sometimes there are no clinical signs other than that the birds are dead,” said McGeoghegan.