Avian flu detected in additional Fraser Valley flocks: CFIA

Chickens are seen at a poultry farm in Abbotsford, B.C., on Nov. 10, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it has detected the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry at additional locations in two British Columbia cities.

The agency says the flu has been detected at two more premises in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, both of which have seen multiple cases since October.

The CFIA says avian influenza is not a food safety concern, and there is no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry or eggs could transmit it to humans.

It says additional primary control zones, which seek to prevent the flu’s spread, will be created as required.

The CFIA currently lists 41 premises in Canada where the flu has been detected in bird flocks, with 37 of those in B.C.

Last week, a B.C. teen was treated in hospital after being confirmed to be the first known human in Canada to domestically acquire the flu, thought to be the H5N1 variant, but it’s not yet known how the teen was infected.

The World Health Organization says the avian flu has been circulating widely among wild birds and poultry for more than two decades, but infections in humans are rare.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2024.