H5N6 strain of avian flu arrives in Canada

A blue-winged teal in Manitoba tested positive for the strain

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

At least one bird in Canada has tested positive for a different strain of avian influenza.

A wild blue-winged teal in Manitoba tested positive for the H5N6 strain of avian flu, a report from the World Organisation for Animal Health says.

The report doesn’t indicate what happened to the bird following the test.

Until this discovery, the avian flu cases in Canada had all been of the H5N1 strain.

H5N6 can spread to humans.

In China, for example, a 20^th person tested positive for H5N6 in April , BNO News reported.

Eight premises in Manitoba are currently infected with avian flu and 13 were previously infected, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.

It’s estimated avian flu is affecting 287,000 birds in Manitoba.

The most recent case occurred in a non-commercial, non-poultry location in the Rural Municipality of Woodlands.

In total across Canada, 121 premises are currently infected with avian flu and 153 were infected at some point but have since been cleared, the CFIA says.

The CFIA estimates more than 6.1 million birds have been affected by avian flu.

British Columbians are feeling the effects of avian flu the most.

Sixty-four premises are currently infected, with almost 3 million birds affected.