Originally published November 2 2005
Canadian authorities report outbreak of bird flu in wild ducks
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
It has yet to be confirmed whether the flu strain discovered in Canadian wild ducks is H5N1, the strain that has proved lethal in Asia, killing 60 humans over the course of the last two years.
An official said it would take a number of days to determine whether the birds are carrying the strain of the avian flu that is lethal to humans.
He said evidence suggested the birds were not infected with the same virus that has affected birds in Asia.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 60 people in South East Asia since 2003, most of them in Vietnam and Thailand.
Thirty-three ducks in Canada tested positive for the virus, among thousands of healthy animals tested across the country.
"These findings do not indicate that we are dealing with a virus strain capable of causing significant illness," Jim Clark of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said.
"It's important to clarify that the avian influenza virus is not new to wild birds," he added.
Tens of millions of birds have been destroyed around the world since the deadly strain of the virus was first detected in 2003.
The disease has also been detected in birds in Russia, Croatia, Turkey and Romania.
While more than 60 people have died of the virus, there is only one suspected case of the disease being passed from human to human.
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