Day 3: Three French Hens

Last Christmas was a tough time for the Canadian poultry industry, with outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) beginning in late 2014 and continuing into the new year. Massive outbreaks were occurring in the US at the same time, causing the destruction of millions of domestic birds. Working with our provincial partners in British Columbia and Ontario, the two provinces involved in the outbreaks, the CWHC increased our surveillance activities for wild waterfowl during 2015, which resulted in the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild duck in British Columbia.

No HPAI cases in domestic or wild birds have been detected in Canada since the last outbreak ended in early 2015. The CWHC continues to carry out a national wild bird influenza surveillance program in partnership with provincial and federal government agencies.

Visit our 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar to read more: http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/12daysofchristmas/

Photo: Woodley Wonderworks via Wikimedia Commons