OTTAWA, Ontario – The ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in various US states has the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on high alert. The agency has implemented measures to protect Canada’s poultry resources from a similar outbreak.

CFIA has restricted all raw poultry and all poultry products and by-products that are not fully cooked, including eggs and raw pet foods, sourced, processed, or packaged from the affected states – Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. None of these products can be brought into Canada until further notice.

Examples of restricted items include:

• live birds and hatching eggs
• eggs, yolks, egg whites (albumen)
• poultry meat (other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products)
• raw pet foods containing poultry products
• feathers
• poultry manure and litter
• laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products

According to CFIA, these restrictions are a normal part of Canada’s animal disease control efforts and are consistent with international guidelines on trade.

Commercial imports are restricted from the specific quarantine zones within these states until further notice. Live pet birds may be brought into Canada with official certification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

There is no food safety risk associated with these products, according to CFIA, the measures are being taken to prevent the introduction of AI into other parts of Canada.