H5N5 bird flu detected on backyard farm in Newfoundland and Labrador
By Canadian Poultry magazine
News Avian InfluenzaVirus similar to 2023 strain, linked to global H5N1 outbreaks.
Canada has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N5 avian influenza on a non-commercial backyard layer poultry farm in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The detected virus is similar to the H5N5 strain that affected Canada in 2023 and is related to the H5N1 (2.3.4.4b) lineage currently impacting farms in North America and Europe.
The ongoing spread of bird flu has raised concerns globally, with outbreaks disrupting supply chains and increasing food prices.
Its spread to mammals, including U.S. dairy cows, has heightened worries about potential human transmission.