CANADA-Influenza virus makes a jump from swine to turkeys

[Animal 0]

Influenza virus makes a jump from swine to turkeys for the first time
in Canada

May 28, 2005
The Vancouver Sun/CP

An Abbotsford, B.C. poultry farm is under quarantine after a form of
influenza is believed to have jumped from swine to turkeys in what's
thought to be the first such transmission to take place in Canada.

B.C.'s chief veterinarian Ron Lewis was cited as saying he believes it
is H3, a swine flu that first found its way to British Columbia from
the Prairies about a month ago, adding, "Because we knew that there was
swine influenza going on, just out of interest we thought we'd check
[the turkeys] and sure enough there was influenza there.".

The H3 swine virus is considered much less serious than the H5 and H7
strains of the avian flu that led to millions of birds being destroyed
and the complete collapse of the poultry industry in the Fraser Valley
last year.

The virus is also unrelated to H5N1, the form of avian flu currently
blamed for the recent death of 1,000 birds in China and a form of flu
that is potentially deadly to humans.

Provincial Health officer Perry Kendall was cited as saying Friday that
the Abbotsford H3 flu poses no risk to the public, but that people
working with the turkeys should wear personal protective equipment,
adding, "In terms of public health risk we're watching the situation
and monitoring it. Colleagues in public health agencies are consulting
with us but we are not raising the same level of concern as we were
with the H5."