- VANCOUVER (CP) -- A worker
contracted the avian flu virus after having contact with dead chickens
on a Fraser Valley poultry farm, health officials confirmed late Friday.
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- The B.C. provincial health officer said it may be the
first time the virus has been identified in Canada.
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- "It's possibly the first time we've identified it,"
said Dr. Perry Kendall. "It may have happened before and not been
cultured and identified."
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- The person exhibited conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and
the symptoms have since cleared up, said Dr. Kendall.
-
- "There was an individual who was exposed while working
with the dead chickens and developed conjunctivitus and was followed up
and tested, and an H7 virus was identified," he said.
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- The H7 virus is not the same strain that has killed several
people in Asia and is not believed to pose any serious risk to humans.
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- "It causes mostly mild infections in humans,"
said Dr. Kendall.
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- The exposure happened close to two weeks ago and was
confirmed by testing last week, said Dr. Kendall.
-
- When asked if it would lead to added precautions, Dr.
Kendall said it didn't really change the situation.
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- "We've been operating with the possibility that
an avian strain could move to a human being," he said.
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- Avian flu was first detected on a Fraser Valley poultry
farm last month.
-
- He said health officials have recommended wearing protective
gear and those exposed to infected chickens during the culling take an
anti-viral drug.
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- Since the first farm was quarantined, avian flu has been
detected at four other poultry operations.
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- It forced federal health officials to order to destruction
of 275,000 birds at farms in a hot zone around the original farm.
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- A control zone was also imposed in the Greater Vancouver
and Fraser Valley region, regulating the movement of poultry and pet birds.
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- It's hoped control measures will help convince trading
partners to eventually lift bans on B.C. poultry.
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- The value of all exports involving B.C. poultry, eggs
and egg products is about $22.5-million, with over half the product shipped
to the United States.
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- Canadian poultry exports are worth $125-million and the
Chicken Farmers of Canada say they expect producers will suffer a serious
hit - one that gets worse every day the trade bans continue.
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