New Avian Flu Strain in BC

Last month I wrote about the avian flu affecting chicken farms in B.C.'s Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley. Unfortunately it appears that a new strain of avian flu has appeared, and it may be a variation with closer genetic links to the disease that killed people in Asia:

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said the strain is different from the H7 virus discovered in the Fraser Valley last March that forced the slaughter of 19 million chickens and turkeys.(for the full article click here)

Luckily no one in the area where the new strain was found has shown any signs of illness, at least not yet. But as I mentioned in my earlier article, poorly managed farms and especially factory farms are breeding grounds for disease. The only way to safely manage the problem is to farm livestock in conditions that promote the health of the livestock. Healthy animals with strong immune systems living in sanitary conditions are the best defense against disease.