Some local farmers concerned after avian flu detected in Michigan
CBC
A strain of avian flu recently detected in Michigan has become a concern for some local farmers.
Owner of the Essex County Hatchery in Kingsville, Nicole Winkels, raises a variety of birds including free-range chickens, ducks, geese and emus. Right now, she's taking extra precautions to ensure wild birds don't interact with her poultry.
"It's mainly the wild waterfowl that we want to watch out for, because they can be carriers and not have any symptoms, and we have water at the back that we're going to be draining as soon as it melts, to prevent any wild waterfowl flying in," said Winkels.
"We don't have any of our bird feeders out. We want to try and keep the wild birds away."
The farm usually takes in unwanted birds to the farm, but has had to pause that program as another precaution to prevent the potential spread of the flu, said Winkels. She had also planned to open the farm to the public this spring to provide tours, however that also won't be possible as long as there is the threat of the flu.
"We were initially planning on putting our ducks, geese and turkeys out in pasture for pasture-raised meats, however with the avian influenza we'll probably keep everything under wraps until we get a clear go-ahead it's safe to do so," said Winkels.
Winkels said visitors could bring in diseases or contaminates to the farm on their shoes.
"They've had reports of 100 per cent mortality within 48 hours for chickens. It would be devastating for our farm," said Winkels, adding the losses could be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected in Michigan last week in a non-commercial backyard flock of birds in Kalamazoo County, federal authorities said.
State officials have quarantined the Kalamazoo County site and the 34 birds at that property "will be depopulated to prevent the spread of disease," the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said, noting that birds from that flock will not enter the food system.
The bird flu cases are among the latest in the U.S. that have put farms that raise turkeys and chickens for meat and eggs on high alert, fearing a repeat of a 2015 bird flu outbreak that killed 50 million birds across 15 states and cost the federal government nearly $1 billion
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning farmers to protect their poultry, after cases of bird flu have recently been found in Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland in early February.
Signs of infection in birds include lack of energy, decreased egg production, bleeding, swelling and a high and sudden mortality rate, according to the CFIA.
The viral infection spreads easily in birds and has no treatment.
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