Bald eagle, backyard poultry flock test positive for avian flu: B.C. Agriculture Ministry

More avian flu cases were recently confirmed in B.C. and, in one instance, it was a small backyard poultry flock in Kelowna that was impacted.

The province's Agriculture Ministry announced the new case Monday, saying the flock is now under quarantine and all producers within a 12-kilometre radius of the home were notified.

"Owners of small or backyard flocks are urged to continue to be vigilant and have appropriate preventative measures in place," a statement from the province said.

Some of those measures, the ministry said, include reducing opportunities for poultry to interact with wild birds, reducing human access to the flock and increasing cleaning.

The Kelowna flock wasn't the only case recorded recently. Monday's update announced a bald eagle found in Delta recently tested positive for the avian flu too. The province said this is the second bald eagle sample that has led to a positive result, with the first coming from one found in Vancouver in February.

"These samples were collected through B.C.’s wild bird surveillance program for avian influenza, which gathers samples from sick and dead birds as well as sediment samples from wetlands the birds gather on," the province's statement explained.

Earlier this month, an outbreak was confirmed at a farm in B.C.'s Okanagan, though the ministry didn't specify where. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency previously called this year "unprecedented" for avian flu. Cases have been reported since late 2021 and hundreds of thousands of birds in Canada have been euthanized or killed by the virus. The CFIA said it believes migratory birds are responsible for the outbreaks, and expects there will be more cases as flocks continue to fly north for the summer. 

While most cases are mild, the flu can cause serious disease or death in birds. It does not generally impact humans, but has in rare cases.

With files from The Canadian Press