Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Southwestern Ontario

Feb 06, 2024

On February 1, 2024, the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) which was working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), shared that it has detected Avian Flu in a commercial flock in Amherstburg, Ontario.

If you have small flocks within 10 KM of this area, remain vigilant and ensure you have excellent biosecurity measures in place. Biosecurity measures are the best way to protect your flock from the outbreak.

Read Small Farm Canada's previous article about biosecurity measure here.

Small flock resources can also be found here.

Also watch for signs of the flu in your flock, look for the following signs:

Lethargy
Coughing, sneezing, or wheezing
diarrhea
A decrease in egg production
Head, neck, or eyes swelling
Lack of coordination

If you detect these symptoms, take immediate action. Contact a veterinarian.

According to the Small Flock Ontario website, “Bird owners are legally responsible to report to a veterinarian, the Canada Food Inspection Agency or the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural if they suspect their flock is infected with a reportable disease such as HPAI.”

Also, if you observe sick or dead wild birds, please report these to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 866-673-4781.

Source : Small Farm Canada

Video: Season 7, Episode 4: Using Data to Better Manage PRRSV

PRRS continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing pork producers, but each outbreak can also provide valuable information about herd recovery, losses and the management decisions that follow.In this episode, Dr. Ana Paula Serafini Poeta Silva, a research scientist at Iowa State University, discusses the PRRS Outbreak Management Program, or POMP, and what researchers have learned from a database containing information from more than 700 breeding-herd outbreaks. She explains how POMP uses data from individual outbreaks to establish benchmarks producers can use to better understand what to expect during recovery, including potential losses and the time it may take for a herd to return to baseline production. The conversation also explores how PRRS management has evolved, including the role of live virus inoculation and modified-live vaccines.