Avian Influenza

A big concern in the industry and media these days is Avian Influenza.  It is a viral infection that can affect all birds, even wild ones.  There are many different strains of Avian Influenza, some cause more severe infections than others.  Some birds can even carry the disease without showing any signs of illness. 

Canadian Chicken Farmers are working very hard to protect the food supply from the virus.  They are following the Safe, Safer, Safest On Farm Food Safety Program that works at reducing the risk of disease entering the farm.  In BC, we also have a BC Poultry Biosecurity Program that is mandatory on all poultry farms in BC and further reduces the risk of disease entry on farm.  For more information on these programs, check out the Regulations page.

The transfer of Avian Influenza from birds to humans is very rare and there have been no cases of human to human or human to bird transmission.  The proper cooking of poultry products will kill the virus so make sure you are using the Storage, Handling and Cooking techniques found on this website.

For a more detailed look at Avian Influenza and what Canadian Chicken Farmers are doing about it, check out the Chicken Farmers of Canada Avian Influenza site.