Seventeen people, ten of whom are children, are being tested for bird flu in Calgary, Canada, after an outbreak at a petting farm. Nine poultry cases of H5N1 avian influenza virus were detected at Butterfield Acres Petting Farm.
All “symptomatic workers” at Butterfield Acres Petting Farm are being tested after nine cases of Influenza A H5, commonly known as the avian flu, were identified in poultry. The specific virus detected at the farm is the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed to CBC News.
The Butterfield Acres Petting Farm voluntarily closed from October 13th to 17th. On Friday, AHS issued a formal closure order, and the facility has not reopened since.
Avian influenza is found worldwide, and rare human infections can occur through close contact with infected animals. This fall, Alberta has had several avian influenza outbreaks on farms across the province.
“The one thing that we’re always watching for, particularly this time of year, are migratory birds that could introduce that virus into domestic or farmed animals here in Canada and elsewhere,” Craig Jenne, a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, said. He added that migratory birds could be the culprit, spreading the virus to domestic animals.
“What is of concern is that we do now have confirmation of an avian influenza that is circulating, and for me, what really stood out is this is now circulating or at least present on an agricultural operation that’s sole purpose is for human contact,” Jenne added. This could lead to more human infections.
This news comes not long after the media claimed that the human fatality rate of bird flu is 48%.
Bird Flu Fatality Rate In Humans Hits 48% After Another Death Reported
The Calgary Zoo is also taking precautions, hoping to mitigate the spread of the virus. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has implemented extra measures to protect its avian species from potential contamination from outside, including closing the Rainforest Aviary and the Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary.
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