The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing measures to protect Canada's poultry resources from an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza reported in poultry in the states of Oregon and Washington, USA.

Due to this outbreak, all birds, all raw poultry and all poultry products and by-products that are not fully cooked, including eggs and raw pet foods, sourced, processed, packaged or shipped from the states of Oregon and Washington are prohibited from entry into Canada until further notice.

These measures are a normal part of Canada's animal disease control efforts and are consistent with international guidelines on trade.

Examples of prohibited 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, and
• laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products

CFIA stresses there is no food safety risk associated with these products. These measures are being taken to prevent the introduction of avian influenza into other parts of Canada.

Further Reading

You can visit the Avian Flu page by clicking here.