Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Michigan on Monday said Canada geese in the state tested positive for a lethal strain of bird flu, bringing the worst outbreak of the disease in U.S. history to a 21st state. Three young geese collected at Sterling Heights, Mich., about 35 km north of Windsor, Ont., were infected with the […] Read more
Worst U.S. avian flu outbreak ever expands to Michigan
Quebec plans new legal status for animals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Quebec’s agriculture minister has tabled a new provincial government bill to raise the legal status of domestic and farmed animals in the province beyond that of “furniture.” Pierre Paradis on Friday introduced Bill 54 in the provincial assembly, with the stated goal of enshrining animals in Quebec’s Civil Code as sentient beings — that is, feeling and […] Read more
USDA refuses farmers’ requests on avian flu vaccine
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it would not allow commercial release of a poultry vaccine to fight the worst outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history because it was not effective enough. The agency said in a notice that additional criteria must be met before a vaccine can be […] Read more
Supply-managed sectors bolster defenses against TPP
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canadian farmers are stepping up their campaign against a nearly complete Pacific trade pact they fear will destroy protections for local dairy, egg and chicken producers and endanger jobs. Farmers in Quebec, which produces 40 per cent of Canada’s dairy products, ran full-page newspaper advertisements on Tuesday warning Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations threaten […] Read more
U.S. bird flu virus seen under control within a few months
Reading Time: 3 minutes Paris | Reuters — An epidemic of bird flu that has devastated U.S. poultry flocks this year is likely to be under control within a few months as the U.S. steps up measures to contain the virus and the summer weather weakens it, senior officials said on Tuesday. There is, however, a high risk that […] Read more
Interprovincial salmonella outbreak tied to chicks
Reading Time: 2 minutes Federal and Alberta provincial health and veterinary officials are probing almost three dozen cases of salmonella poisoning across three provinces, tied to handling of live baby chickens. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Monday it’s so far investigating 17 cases of illness in people in Alberta, 13 in British Columbia and four in […] Read more
U.S. bird flu causes egg shortage, emergency measures
Reading Time: 4 minutes Chicago/New York | Reuters — As a virulent avian influenza outbreak continues to spread across the Midwestern U.S., some egg-dependent companies are contemplating drastic steps — importing eggs from overseas or looking to egg alternatives. A spokeswoman for Archer Daniels Midland said that as egg supplies tighten and prices rise, the food processing and commodities […] Read more
SW Ont. poultry sectors nearer business-as-usual, almost
Reading Time: 2 minutes Quarantines on several poultry operations in southwestern Ontario could be removed by the end of next month, assuming no new cases of avian flu turn up in the region — just in time for another notifiable poultry disease to appear. The Feather Board Command Centre — the emergency response unit for the province’s chicken, turkey […] Read more
Sysco sees U.S. bird flu hurting egg supply up to 18 months
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — Food distributor Sysco Corp. said on Friday that a record U.S. outbreak of avian flu would limit its chicken and egg supply for nine to 18 months, based on information provided to the company by its suppliers. Sysco is the biggest U.S. food distributor, whose clients include restaurants, hotels and […] Read more
Minnesota bans bird exhibitions over avian flu
Reading Time: < 1 minute Minneapolis | Reuters –– Minnesota officials on Friday banned all bird exhibitions in the state this year, including at the Minnesota State Fair, in response to an outbreak of avian influenza that has affected farms around the Midwest. Exhibitions at fairs, swap meets, exotic sales and petting zoos must not include birds for the rest […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
