VANCOUVER — Officials with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are expected to release more details on an avian flu virus that has forced the quarantine of four poulty farms in British Columbia's Fraser Valley.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also waiting for test results to determine the specific N-subtype of the virus involved.
Of particular concern is whether the virus is the dangerous H5N1 strain or H5N8, which is currently affecting farms in the Netherlands.
The outbreak began earlier this week at a turkey farm in Abbotsford and a chicken farm in Chilliwack, where birds at both sites tested positive for H5 avian influenza.
A combined total of 18,000 birds at the farms have either died or will be euthanized, and Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have all imposed varying restrictions on poultry from B.C. and Canada.
Officials have cautioned that the virus does not pose a risk to consumers if poultry meat is properly handled and cooked, though in rare cases it can be transmitted to people who work in close contact with the animals.
