Bird flu scare in Canada

According to a Canadian health official test results on wild migratory ducks across Canada have not shown any link to the deadly Asian strain of the bird flu virus that has spread from Southeast Asia to Europe.

The chief veterinary officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Brian Evans, says there was no Asian strain in any of the wildlife tested.

Health experts worldwide have been on the alert for the Asian strain of the H5N1 virus which they fear may mutate to allow it to be easily transmitted among humans.

There are nine known N strains of the H5 virus.

Evans says that in a study of 4,800 healthy wild birds a nonlethal, American variety of the H5N1 virus was found in two wild ducks in the western province of Manitoba.

Versions of the H5N3 virus were also detected in Quebec birds and the H5N9 and H5N2 strains were detected in British Columbia birds.

None of these strains are regarded as a public health threat.

The survey was the largest of its kind across Canada after a major bird flu outbreak in early 2004 in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver.

Evans says Canadians can be reassured that the Asian strain of avian influenza of animal or human health concern, has not been detected.

The results were released on the same day that Canadian inspectors and British Columbia animal health officials announced one domestic duck was found to have an H5-type virus.

Evans says he hopes the specific type of the virus found in the Fraser Valley duck on Thursday would be determined by mid-week.

According to local media the food inspection agency will order the culling of all 6,000 of the ducks on the farm with the infected bird to be culled.