Avian influenza confirmed in wild bird samples in Manitoba

Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development advises the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has confirmed the presence of avian influenza in two different wild bird samples in Manitoba.

Samples from several snow geese were collected in southwestern Manitoba near Waskada and a single sample from a bald eagle was collected in the Dauphin area. A sample from each location has tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1.

To date, no cases of avian influenza have been detected in poultry flocks in Manitoba.

Cases of HPAI H5N1 have been confirmed in a number of Canadian provinces and the United States, including jurisdictions immediately south of Manitoba in North Dakota and Minnesota along the route for spring migratory birds returning to Manitoba.

The risk of avian influenza to human health is low. There are no known cases of transmission of this strain of the virus from birds to humans in North America.

This strain of avian influenza does not pose a food safety risk. Manitoba poultry and eggs are safe to eat when proper handling and cooking take place. Regular food safety and hygiene precautions should be followed when preparing wild game. Hunters should avoid eating birds that are visibly ill.