OIE: Highly pathogenic avian influenza ,Canada

Information received on 06/02/2015 from Dr Martine Dubuc, OIE Delegate for Canada, Chief Food Safety Officer Vice-President, Science Branch, Health Ministry, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Canada

Summary

Report type	Immediate notification
Date of start of the event	02/02/2015
Date of pre-confirmation of the event	02/02/2015
Report date	06/02/2015
Date submitted to OIE	07/02/2015
Reason for notification	New strain of a listed disease
Manifestation of disease	Clinical disease
Causal agent	Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype	H5N1
Nature of diagnosis	Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to	a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks

Summary of outbreaks

Total outbreaks: 1

Outbreak Location

BRITISH COLUMBIA ( Chilliwack )

Total animals affected

Species	Susceptible	Cases	Deaths	Destroyed	Slaughtered
Birds	94	94	81	13	0

Outbreak statistics

Species	Apparent morbidity rate	Apparent mortality rate	Apparent case fatality rate	Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Birds	100.00%	86.17%	86.17%	100.00%

* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter;

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

Unknown or inconclusive
Contact with wild species

Epidemiological comments

This new outbreak was detected in a backyard poultry flock in the Avian Influenza Primary Control Zone (PCZ) in the province of British Columbia (BC), in the same area as the previous outbreaks of HPAI H5N2 reported in December 2014. All susceptible animals on site were humanely destroyed.
The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (CFIA - Winnipeg) reported NAI H5 RRT-PCR positive results on 4 February 2015 and partial sequencing of H5 and N1 segments on 5 February.
The virus involved is a HPAI H5N1 virus with the H5 gene segment derived from the Eurasian lineage, and N1 derived from North American lineage based on partial sequence. The H5 gene segment is very similar to the reassortant H5N2 in BC and the H5 in the H5N1 reassortant virus detected in a wild green-winged teal just south of the border in Washington State, USA. In addition, the N1 gene segment is very similar to North American wild bird viruses and nearly identical, over the very small fragment sequenced this far, to the N1 in the H5N1 virus detected in a green-winged teal mentioned above.
Based on the limited partial sequence of the H5 and N1 gene segments obtained this far, it appears very likely that this is the same or a very similar virus to the recent reassortant H5N1 virus in Washington State but more sequencing will be needed to make a final conclusion.
This virus has NOT been reported in any commercial poultry flock in Canada.
It is important to note this HPAI H5N1 virus is different from the strain circulating in Asia. It is a reassortant virus with the N1 from a North American wild bird virus.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) continues to monitor the situation and implement strict movement restrictions in the PCZ. Ongoing surveillance is in place in all of Canada. All provinces, with the exception of the PCZ in British Columbia, remain free of Notifiable Avian Influenza in poultry.

Control measures

Measures applied	Stamping out Quarantine Movement control inside the country Screening Zoning Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s) Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied	No other measures

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory name and type

Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture ( Local laboratory )

Tests and results

Species	Test	Test date	Result
Birds	real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)	02/02/2015	Positive

Laboratory name and type