Asked Questions
What is avian influenza (bird flu)?
Avian Influenza (AI) is a virulent and highly contagious viral disease which occurs in poultry and other birds. There are various strains of the avian influenza virus, with the high pathogenic strains having almost 100% fatality rates. Wild birds are often carriers of the low pathogenic strains of the virus without showing any symptoms, and contact of domestic flocks with wild migratory birds has been at the origin of many epidemics in poultry. Avian influenza can occasionally spread to humans and other animals, usually following direct contact with infected birds.
How does bird flu spread?
Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.
How do people get flu from birds?
The risk for most people is generally low because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds. The current outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1) among poultry in Asia and Europe is an example of a bird flu outbreak that has caused human infections and deaths. In such situations, people should avoid contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces, and should be careful when handling and cooking poultry. For more information about avian influenza and food safety issues, visit the website of the World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the H5N1 bird flu that’s been reported in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe?
Influenza A (H5N1) virus occurs mainly in birds. Like all bird flu viruses, H5N1 virus circulates among birds worldwide, is very contagious among birds, and can be deadly. Outbreaks of influenza H5N1 occurred among poultry in eight countries in Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam) during late 2003 and early 2004. At that time, more than 100 million birds in the affected countries either died from the disease or were killed in order to try to control the outbreak. Beginning in late June 2004, new outbreaks of influenza H5N1 among poultry were reported by several countries in Asia (Cambodia, Tibet, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Siberia, Thailand, and Vietnam). It is believed that these outbreaks are ongoing.
What is the risk to humans from the H5N1 virus in Asia and Europe?
Avian influenza viruses may, on rare occasions, cause disease in humans. Human transmission has occurred to people having prolonged contact with heavily contaminated environments. All influenza viruses have the ability to change, so scientists are concerned that the H5N1 virus one day could be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another. If the H5N1 virus were able to infect people and spread easily from person to person, an influenza pandemic could begin. Experts from around the world are watching the H5N1 situation in Asia very closely and are preparing for the possibility that the virus may begin to spread more easily and widely from person to person.
What happened when AI occurred in B.C.?
In February 2004, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) identified the presence of a low pathogenic H7 avian influenza in the Fraser Valley area of southern British Columbia. Subsequent tests revealed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza in British Columbia in March 2004. The CFIA depopulated all infected premises (42 commercial and 11 backyard premises) on which highly pathogenic avian influenza was found and pre-emptively destroyed all birds in the surrounding 3 km areas. At no time during the AI outbreak in B.C. were there any severe cases of human illness.
Could bird flu come to Ontario?
Chicken Farmers of Canada's On-Farm Food Safety Assurance Program (OFFSAP) ensures that top-notch safety procedures and standardized safety systems will be found on each Ontario chicken farm. Farmers are vigilant about restricting access only to people that are necessary and those must follow the strictest biosecurity protocols.
Is it safe to eat poultry?
Ontario chicken is perfectly safe to eat. AI has never been passed on to humans as the result of eating cooked poultry meat or eggs. The CFIA has import restrictions in place on poultry and non-processed poultry products from any of the countries affected by avian flu. Ontario’s 1,100 chicken farmers are proud to grow safe, quality chicken that consumers can trust.
Should I have a flu shot?
Seasonal flu shots do not protect against AI. However, immunization with the current season flu vaccine is important, though, for those in close contact with infected poultry because it may reduce the likelihood that a worker would be infected with both the human and avian forms of influenza at the same time, which could pose a greater risk. The Public Health Agency of Canada has recommended the flu shot for poultry workers as a precautionary measure.
