Notice to industry: Flock placement in infected zones

2022-04-28

The Government of Canada is devoting significant resources to mitigate the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Canada. To help accomplish this goal, the risk of exposure to the virus must be minimized. The timeline to restock premises in an infected zone is dependent upon disease response and surveillance activities. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working to eliminate the disease as quickly as possible in order to resume normal business activities and trade.

CFIA's key objectives to ensure quick return to Canada's status as free of AI are:

• identifying exposed premises
• applying strict movement controls
• tracing and destroying all infected or potentially infected animals, products, and materials
• cleaning and disinfecting infected premises and vehicles to avoid further spread; and
• performing surveillance activities and placement restrictions within the Primary Control Zone (PCZ)

The movement of poultry, poultry products, poultry by-products, and things associated with poultry are controlled within the PCZ. Movement of live birds into the infected zone within PCZ is prohibited initially until such time that the disease is determined to be under control within the PCZ. At that time, movements can be considered under the restrictions of a specific permit. The main factors that guide the consideration of live bird movements into an infected zone are based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to:

• completion of certain key activities on infected premises focused on reducing levels of the virus
• level of surveillance
• epidemiological assessment and situational awareness within these zones

Learn more about permits and movement control permissions.