Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza found on BC Turkey Farm

From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Animal Health - Animal Disease Information: "May 27, 2005
H3 influenza virus found in British Columbia

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has quarantined a turkey layer farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia based on preliminary results from the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (BCMAFF) indicating the presence of the H3 influenza virus in the flock.

The turkey farm is near a swine farm that recently experienced an H3 influenza infection and the virus is suspected to have originated from swine. Transmission of this influenza strain between swine and turkeys has been documented previously.

This low pathogenic H3 virus is a milder form of virus and has not been known to mutate into high pathogenic avian influenza as the H7N3 strain did last year in the Fraser Valley. This is not related to the avian influenza outbreak in 2004 and all testing by BCMAAF to date is negative for the H5 or H7 strains of the virus.

While the CFIA and BCMAAF investigated the situation, and with the cooperation of the producer, every biosecurity measure was implemented. The CFIA is sending samples to the National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg for further testing."

While this outbreak is of a non-pathogenic strain, it illustrates how avian influenza can happen anywhere in the world and can transmit among swine and poultry. This is the inverse situation to Indonesia, where swine have apparently been infected by H5N1. Wild birds were not shown to play a major role in last year's H7N3 epizootic in the Fraser Valley, and it doesn't sound like they did in this outbreak either. This should not form a risk for humans.

A paper describing another swine - turkey transmission event is here. Papers on the previous BC outbreak are here and here