A high risk contact premises (HRCP) is declared when a premises is at risk of being exposed or has been exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Quarantine and movement restrictions apply to HRCPs, even if HPAI has not been detected through laboratory testing.
Why restrictions are required
When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is aware of HPAI infections, we need to control the risk of infection to other premises.
HRCP restrictions are established to limit the spread of disease. These controls are issued under the Health of Animals Act and regulations.
This prohibits the movement of animals or things that may have been exposed to HPAI on, off or within the premises, unless movement permissions have been issued by the CFIA.
HRCP process
Step 1: How premises are declared HRCP
Poultry operations are classified as high risk contact premises (HRCP) when:
- direct or indirect contact is identified and relevant epidemiological information supports a high risk classification
- any poultry productions on a premises are located within 200 meters from a poultry production building on an infected premises
- a premises is part of an anseriformes production network associated with an infected anseriformes premises
Step 2: Quarantine and movement restrictions
The premises is issued a Declaration of an Infected Place and a Requirement to Quarantine. This applies to poultry operations inside or outside a declared Primary Control Zone (PCZ).
HRCP restrictions remain in place until 14 days from the last date of contact with the infected premises. Restrictions are released once all required surveillance activities have been completed with negative results.
Individual premises movement restrictions will apply during the surveillance period. The CFIA will assign a case officer to review HRCP requirements and provide information on specific movement criteria and conditions.
The CFIA has the right to change movement requirements and apply additional criteria or conditions if a risk is determined to be present on the individual premises.
Step 3: Apply for a movement permissions
You must get permission from the CFIA before moving controlled commodities. This applies to poultry, poultry products or by-products, and things such as vehicles and equipment of service providers entering the poultry premises.
The CFIA will grant permissions to a HCRP by issuing:
- License for Removal of Animals or Things; and/or
- License to Transport Animals or Things
Movement permissions for a HRCP within a Primary Control Zone (PCZ) differ from the permit requirements that apply to non-HRCP premises within a PCZ. For more details, please see Avian influenza – permits and conditions needed for movement control.
How to request a movement permission
- complete the Permission Request Form for the Movement of Animals and/or Things (CFIA/ACIA 5973) for each movement request (if assigned a case officer, work with your case officer to complete this request)
- attach required documentation to the request (that is biosecurity standard operating procedures)
- requests are reviewed by the local district office or by the area/regional emergency operations centre movement control group
- licenses for movement are issued by CFIA movement control group inspectors once all conditions for movement have been met
Step 4: When a HRCP is released from restrictions
HRCP requirements will stay in place for 14 days after the last at-risk contact with the infected premises (IP).
The last at-risk contact is defined as:
- HRCP located within 200 meters from the IP: Capping milestone completed on the IP
- HRCP located within the rest of the infected zone, restricted zone or outside of the primary control zone: Last direct or indirect contact with the IP
Once individual premises movement restrictions are released on a HRCP, a premises within a PCZ will be under the conditions for movement permits within the respective zone. Premises outside of a current PCZ will no longer require movement permissions.