http://www.komonews.com/news/national/Avian-flu-outbreak-hits-2-British-Columbia-farms-284622091.html

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Two poultry farms where an outbreak of avian influenza was discovered in southwestern British Columbia are under quarantine and thousands of their turkeys and chickens that did not die from the illness will be euthanized, provincial and Canadian officials said Tuesday.

There are no reports of the disease being transmitted to humans.

Tests to determine the precise strain of the virus were conducted Sunday after bird deaths were reported at a turkey farm in Abbotsford and a chicken farm in Chilliwack. The farms are about 5 miles apart in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver.

The Abbotsford farm housed 11,000 turkeys that were to be slaughtered for Christmas. Half died from the bird flu. The Chilliwack barn housed 7,000 chickens and about 1,000 of those had died.

The remaining birds will be euthanized using carbon dioxide and then composted inside their barns, said Jane Pritchard, British Columbia’s chief veterinary officer. The compost could be safely used on other farms, she said.

Test results will guide the response from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said Harpreet Kochhar, Canada’s chief veterinary officer.

The results expected Thursday should show whether the virus is the dangerous H5N1 strain or another variation, said Perry Kendall, British Columbia’s provincial health officer.

More poultry will be tested in surveillance zones 6 miles around the infected farms.

In 2004, health officials ordered 17 million chickens, turkeys and other domestic birds slaughtered to contain an outbreak of avian influenza at 42 poultry farms in the Fraser Valley. It cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars and led to temporary trade restrictions on British Columbia poultry.

Avian influenza poses little risk to people who are consuming poultry meat if it is handled and cooked properly. In rare cases, the virus can transmit to people who have had close contact with the birds, health officials said.