Manitoba officials are testing samples taken from wild birds for avian flu, including one taken in the Dauphin area. Avian flu spreads quickly and can be devastating for poultry producers according to Miner Family Farm owner Aaron Miner.
It spreads very quickly, and it comes on without much warning. You would see one bird fall, which isn't uncommon, you do lose the odd one from time to time, but if you see one fall one day, and the next you could see as many as half your flock die in one day, it's very contagious and spreads very quickly.
The risk of avian flu to humans is low, and there are no known transmissions of the strain from birds to humans in North America. The province is asking for the public's help to identify cases in wild birds, Manitobans are asked to contact the toll-free TIP Line at 1-800-782-0076 if they find any of the following:
- Clusters of six or more dead waterfowl (e.g., ducks, geese) or other water birds
- Any number of dead raptors or avian scavengers (e.g., ravens, crows, gulls)]
- Large groups of dead birds, such as more than 20 of any species.
You can find out more about the province's work identifying cases of avian flu here.
