National Operations Veterinary Specialist for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Marc Bertrand has confirmed at least four cases of avian influenza (avian flu) on sites in the Eastern Townships, including in the general Sherbrooke area and in Brome-Missisquoi. All four sites were immediately put under quarantine and will remain so until the situation is resolved. Bertrand provided details as to how the agency is handling the situation and what can be done to help contain the spread of the disease.

“What we do as soon as we have some suspicions of a disease that is declared by either a practitioner or even a farmer is we send a team to investigate,” said Bertrand. “This means that we will take samples and analyze them. In the meantime, we will put the farm in quarantine until we get the results.”

The next steps all depend on the results.

“If it is negative, we lift the quarantine right away. If it turns out to be positive, then we start the inquiry. We will look at all of the epidemiological links with the farms. That includes movement of people, animals, and things, and also the direct proximity to the farm where the confirmed case was found,” explained Bertrand.

Bertrand described the avian flu as being “catastrophic” for a bird farm as it can kill or get most birds sick.

“There are biosecurity measures so that people don’t travel around without precautions,” noted Bertrand.

Bertrand said that even small flock owners have a part to play in containing the spread of the avian flu.

“They certainly have their part to play because one of the farms that was infected was in fact a small backyard operation. You have to keep in mind that when we talk about the avian flu, it comes mainly from ducks and geese. That’s wild birds that are migrating over to Canada so you don’t want to attract them or keep them in your vicinity during their migration,” he explained.

Bertrand added that people should also pay attention to the clothes that they are wearing while taking care of their flock.

“It shouldn’t be the same boots that you use to go hike and duck hunting because you could bring back the disease from the wild,” he said. “So, have dedicated garments when feeding your own backyard flock.”

Concerning how the disease can affect humans, Bertrand emphasized that it is extremely rare that people contract the avian flu, but if it does happen seeking immediate medical attention is necessary.

“People that are working in close contact with avian flu infected birds might get the disease. It’s something that is rarely seen, it is not common, but people should understand this part as well,” he said.

Information about avian influenza can be found on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website.

While Bertrand could not confirm exactly which farms in the Eastern Townships were being affected by avian influenza due to privacy law, duck farm Brome Lake Ducks sent out a press release to various news organizations following our conversation. The press release confirmed that three of its facilities, including its site in Knowlton, are being affected by the disease. CIDI reached out to Angela Anderson, general manager of Brome Lake Ducks, and Claude Trottier, president of Brome Lake Ducks, for comment and will have a follow-up story with Anderson in the upcoming days.

Listen to the full interview with Bertrand below: