Avian Flu in British Columbia
The Vancouver Sun reports today that an avian flu, infected duck was found on a domestic water fowl farm in Chilliwack BC, Canada. Chilliwack, British Columbia is located about sixty miles East of Vancouver.
For the feature article click here.
Officials were quick to insist that the infected duck poses no public health risk. Considering the roaming distance of ducks I’m not so sure. All farms within a 5 km radius will be investigated. The farm’s owner lost 140,000 of the birds to a strain of the disease in 2004. Public Health Officials have yet to determine the viral strain the bird was infected with.
In a separate article, Ken Faulk, the ownder of the farm says that he will kill all of the birds if that is what it takes to halt the spread of the Avian flu as over 17,000,000 birds were destroyed across the Fraser Valley in 2004. I guess it’s a matter of penny wise vs pound foolish!