Cases of avian influenza have been confirmed in northern gannets found dead in the Magdalen Islands. According to the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP), the situation was predictable since several cases of avian influenza have been detected in wild birds in Quebec since April.
Posted at 6:40 p.m.
Several hundred gannets have been found dead on the beaches of the Magdalen Islands in the past week. A total of five specimens were collected by the MFFP and sent for analysis.
Avian influenza is a virus that occurs naturally in wild birds, mainly in aquatic species, such as geese, ducks and gulls.
This virus shows few “clinical signs” in wild birds and does not harm species conservation. Highly pathogenic strains can, however, cause greater mortality in certain species, as is the case with the northern gannets of the Magdalen Islands.
Elsewhere in Canada, gannet deaths have also been recorded and are currently under investigation.
Wild birds can introduce and spread avian influenza along migratory routes. This virus has been circulating in Europe since 2020 and in the United States since December 2021. In Ireland, cases of avian influenza have also been confirmed in northern gannets.
Avian influenza is rarely transmitted to humans. When this is the case, this virus generally affects workers in close contact with infected poultry in a closed environment, such as breeders on a farm for example.
Domestic poultry is particularly susceptible to the virus. It can cause significant mortality in poultry farms and the consequences can be devastating for the industry.
In April, several poultry farms were affected by avian influenza in Estrie. This caused the forced culling of almost hundreds of thousands of birds.
The detection of cases in the Magdalen Islands occurs as part of the provincial surveillance program for avian influenza in wild birds. The MFFP says it is monitoring the situation closely.