Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

It appears that Canadian officials are relaxing the ban on poultry from the U.S. after this years avian influenza outbreak. Canada has allowed birds from Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho to once again be imported. No other states raw poultry or byproducts will be allowed into the country until deemed free of the infection which killed millions of chickens, turkeys and waterfowl in dozens of states earlier this year.

Speaking of the bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture wants to get the word out about practicing good biosecurity when it comes to commercial and back yard flocks. ODA's Avian Health Coordinator Madeline Benoit says we may see yet another outbreak of the disease this fall.

BENOIT: Fall and winter are especially critical because migration season is beginning during this time. We have migratory waterfowl moving for their wintering grounds, and the cold and wet weather helps the virus to survive better. I personally want Oregon to be prepared just because there is that possibility it could happen to us. I mean it happened once and there is nothing to say it couldn't happen again. So we just need to be more prepared and more cautious than anything.

The education campaign has reached out to more than 8-thousand people through bird shows, poultry swaps, and other events that attract backyard flock owners.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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