avian influenza

Mark Siemens is a third-generation egg farmer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley and he recalls his grandfather sharing a story about fighting an unknown disease that raced through the farm decades ago, forcing him to cull the entire flock.

People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.

Experts and health authorities say that while the risk of human infection with the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza remains low, people should avoid contact with sick or dead birds.

Avian flu vaccines hadn’t been used on birds in the U.S. until condors started succumbing to the virus last year.

Avian influenza has killed millions of birds. Shots to prevent it already exist. Why isn’t the entire poultry industry using them?

The carcasses of thousands of white gannets have been covering the shores of Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine for the last two weeks, victims of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

It is of critical concern that our next pandemic is being hastened by our use of animals susceptible to influenza, especially chickens and pigs.

A Quebec duck-farming operation says three of its facilities have been devastated by avian flu, forcing it to slaughter 150,000 birds and lay off nearly 300 employees.

The number of avian flu cases in Quebec is growing, with four poultry farms now affected by the virus.

The agency says avian influenza is not a significant public health concern for healthy people who are not in regular contact with infected birds.

Canada's food safety watchdog says the discovery of avian influenza in a commercial poultry flock in Nova Scotia has resulted in international trade restrictions on some Canadian poultry products.

High-level containment labs at Canada's NML in Winnipeg are being expanded to allow scientists increased capacity to research some of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases.