Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Canada bird flu not highly pathogenic H5N1
A gosling from a Canadian backyard flock did not die of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu found in Asia, Europe and Africa, a Canadian source said on Tuesday.
“The news is good. The dead bird was not carrying the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1,” the source told Reuters. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to give more details on the results of tests on the dead bird.
Officials said last Friday that the gosling had tested positive for H5 avian flu, prompting scattered fears that the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain might have reached North America for the first time.
The bird was part of a noncommercial flock of 35 to 40 chickens, geese and ducks in the eastern province of Prince Edward Island.