Question Period Note: HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (HPAI)

Q1 – Does avian influenza pose risks to human health? Q2 – What is the effect of avian influenza on the export of poultry and poultry products? Q3 – Are poultry vaccines available for avian influenza? Q4 – What is the Government of Canada doing about avian influenza and how is it protecting animal and human health and curtailing the spread of the disease?

R.1 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has acted to minimize the risk of the virus spreading within Canadian flocks and to other animals. All avian influenza viruses, particularly H5 and H7 viruses, have the potential to infect mammals, including humans. On November 13, 2024, the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed a human case of avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus in Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency disease response has aimed to protect public and animal health, minimize impacts on the domestic poultry industry, and the Canadian economy. The current risk to the public remains low and low to moderate for those occupationally exposed. There is no evidence to suggest that pasteurized milk, thoroughly cooked meat or eggs are sources of avian influenza infection for people. R.2 - Since the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in 2021, trade restrictions have been implemented on certain poultry and poultry products. Forty countries have implemented Canada-wide import restrictions while others have implemented provincial or zone-specific trade restrictions.

Canada has zoning arrangements in place with the United States and the European Union to expedite return to trade from areas deemed as disease-free and is working with its key trading partners to minimize the impact of trade disruptions. Additionally, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to notify the World Organisation for Animal Health of all positive highly pathogenic avian influenza detections. R.3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics has licensed three highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccines for use in chickens. These vaccines are licensed for emergency preparedness only and may only be imported into Canada with special permission from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to engage with international trading partners about potential vaccination strategies to help protect animal and public health, and to minimize any potential impact on trade should a vaccination program be implemented. R.4 - Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a federally reportable disease in Canada. All suspected cases in any species must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Government works with provinces, territories, and a wide range of stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to help minimize the impact of the disease on the poultry and dairy industries.

Poultry

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic poultry in all 10 provinces since December 2021.

Through surveillance and mandatory reporting, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors for highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic poultry and undertakes a ‘stamping out’ approach to control the disease when detected. In addition, primary control zones are declared to help control the disease and any potential spread through movements of domestic poultry, vehicles and other things that may spread the disease.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also actively monitors avian influenza outbreaks in trading partner countries and puts border lookouts and trade restrictions in place to reduce the risk of importing the virus into the domestic production system through live birds, hatching eggs, or avian products and by-products.

Cattle

For cattle, in addition to mandatory reporting obligations when there is a suspicion of disease, until further notice the Government is facilitating the voluntary domestic testing of cows that are not presenting with clinical signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza to enhance industry biosecurity efforts.

Active national surveillance also takes place with raw milk samples collected at the processor level since August 2024. As of May 8, 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency laboratories have tested 3498 samples of raw milk from trucks arriving at processing plants in all provinces across Canada. All samples collected were negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection that can affect several species of food producing poultry as well as pets, wild birds, and mammals, including cattle. AI viruses can be classified into two categories based on the severity of the illness caused in poultry: low pathogenicity (LPAI) and high pathogenicity (HPAI) forms.

HPAI in Canada is a One Health issue with the involvement of several federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, industry, and science stakeholders. One Health recognizes the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) responds to the presence of HPAI in small flocks, commercial and non-commercial farms with birds across Canada. The response helps eliminate and prevent the spread of HPAI in poultry while minimizing the impact of the disease on Canadians and international trade.

In Canada, HPAI and LPAI subtypes H5 and H7 are reportable under the Health of Animals Act and the Reportable Diseases Regulations. All suspected cases of AI, in any species, must be reported to the CFIA.

Canadian Infected Domestic Poultry Flocks to date

From December 2021 to May 20, 2025:
Cumulative Affected Premises (farms) by Province
Alberta 87
British Columbia 239
Manitoba 26
New Brunswick 2
Newfoundland and Labrador 4
Nova Scotia 10
Prince Edward Island 1
Ontario 61
Quebec 59
Saskatchewan 49
Total 538
Number of poultry affected 14,566,000
**These numbers represent both currently infected premises and previously infected premises (released premises)

• The Government of Canada and Canada's national poultry sectors have been responding to detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada since December 2021.

• The scale of the current worldwide highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak is unprecedented and continues to have significant impacts on Canada's poultry industry. In 2024, the poultry industry was valued at $6.3B.

• This is a challenging situation for everyone involved, including animal owners, producers, animal health professionals, and communities across the country.

• Any suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in an animal must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency under the Health of Animals Act and the Reportable Diseases Regulations.

• After highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in U.S. dairy cattle, the Government of Canada introduced additional import controls, increased surveillance, and prepared a rapid response plan to protect human and animal health from highly pathogenic avian influenza. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has not been detected in Canadian dairy cattle.