Originally published December 8 2005
Bird flu found in group of wild ducks in Eastern Canada
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
During routine banding of some 710 migratory waterfowl around the Tantramar marshes, the Canadian Wildlife service discovered 35 wild ducks infected with the H5 strain of avian influenza.
Canada has discovered the H5 avian influenza virus in 35 wild ducks and one case of the H7 virus in its eastern provinces, officials announced.
The Canadian Wildlife Service made the discoveries during routine banding of some 710 migratory waterfowl around the Tantramar marshes near the borders of the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
It said all the birds were young and healthy.
"These preliminary results do not indicate an increased threat to human health or commercial poultry flocks," officials said in a statement.
"Migratory birds are known to carry influenza viruses and it is unlikely the viruses are the same as those currently found in Asia and Europe."
Further testing will be done at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg to determine the subtypes of the viruses.
Earlier this month, tests revealed low pathogenic strains of H5N9 in two wild birds and H5N2 in five wild birds in the western province of British Columbia, H5N1 in two wild birds from the central province of Manitoba and H5N3 in two wild birds from the eastern Quebec province.
More recently, officials said they found a "significant concentration" of the H5 avian influenza virus on two poultry farms in British Columbia.
All 57,800 ducks and 1,300 geese on the two farms were destroyed and 78 poultry operations within five-kilometres were placed under quarantine as authorities tried to build a "biological firewall" around the infected area.
Scientists fear the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which can be contracted through bird-to-human contact, could mutate into a virus spread from human to human, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.
Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States have banned poultry imports from British Columbia and Japan has imposed a nation-wide ban.
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