TORONTO, July 28 (Reuters) – The carcasses of thousands of migrant seabirds have washed up on the shores of eastern Canada this week and preliminary findings showed that the birds died of avian flu.
Since May 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed 13 positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is conducting more investigations to confirm that the seabird’s deaths are linked to avian flu, Peter Thomas, wildlife biologist for the center said.
Dead herring gulls, Iceland gulls, common ravens, and American crows are among the most affected by influenza, Thomas added.
According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, the avian influenza virus is contagious and can affect domestic and wild birds throughout the world.
Canadian Wildlife Service is working closely with the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative to contain the spread.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza has also been spreading rapidly in Vancouver Island, the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said, infecting birds like great horned owls, bald eagles, great blue herons, ducks and geese, and even crows.
“Every day I receive phone calls saying 10 are dead,” Elizabeth Melnick, of Elizabeth’s Wildlife Center, BC, said.
“Wildlife centers in the country usually choose to save the dying ones as dead ones are picked up by the city,” she said.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, avian influenza is a respiratory pathogen that causes a high degree of mortality and becomes a serious threat to the poultry industry. It is naturally spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, pet birds can be infected by avian influenza and spread the disease to humans, so wild birds should not be handled when they are sick or dead.
Reporting by Shreya Jain; Editing by Sandra Maler
Subscribe here for just .08 cents per day to read subscriber content, join the PVDN newsletter, and browse with site ad-free. Support local news.
Trending news on PVDN
- Puerto Vallarta or Cancun? Security issues in Acapulco and Cancún could attract tourists to Puerto Vallarta as a safer alternative The unfortunate situation of violence and insecurity that exists in tourist destinations such as Acapulco or Cancun, where executions or disputes between taxi drivers and Uber, respectively, are taking place, could attract more tourism to Puerto Vallarta, answering the question: Puerto Vallarta or Cancun?
- Crocodile captured in Puerto Vallarta at Parque Lineal Elements of the Municipal Government’s Environment Department captured an adult crocodile approximately 2.63 meters long, in Linear Park, near the Ex Haciendas del Pitillal, this Wednesday. The specimen is marked with the number 530 and was relocated to the El Salado estuary. This happens in the commemoration of the Day of the Biologist, professionals who…
- Puerto Vallarta Malecón will be repaired due to damage caused by high waves In a regular session of the Tourism and Economic Development Commission in cooperation with the Environment and Public Services Commissions, the opinion derived from a building agreement initiative was approved this Wednesday to carry out the repair of the Puerto Vallarta Malecón, due to the damage it suffered as a result of the high waves.…
- Mexico’s most dangerous volcano reported 120 exhalations in the past day The Popocatépetl volcano reported 120 exhalations in the last day, according to daily monitoring carried out by the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) together with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
- Puerto Vallarta recognizes heroic action of policeman who saved tourist from drowning Officer Alejandro Abarca Álvarez, a tourist area policeman, who on January 15 saved the life of a tourist from Guadalajara after being swept away by ocean currents, was recognized for his heroic actions. The rescue was registered at around 5:00 pm at Camarones Beach next to the Rosita Hotel and according to the report of…