Morning omelettes and holiday dinners have become more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations. Now, reporting in Environmental Science & […] Read more
Tag Archives wildlife
Testing wetlands for infectious bird flu — and finding it
Science Notes: Detection of HPAI virus and other strains highlights risk to other animals, even humans
Saskatchewan expands wildlife testing to include bovine TB
CFIA probe of cattle herd finds 10 infected so far
Recent confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Saskatchewan cattle herd have led the province to expand its annual wildlife monitoring program for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to also include TB. The province each year since 1997 has asked hunters to submit heads from harvested deer, moose and elk to test for CWD. It […] Read more
ALUS gets new provincial funding
Program helps farmers pay for projects that protect species at risk
At the Crump farm near Ilderton, runoff from 400 nearby acres, grazing by too many cattle and an elevation change of 35 feet in a short distance led to a strained ecosystem. Now, Chris and Vivian Crump have added wetlands, created more controlled grazing, managed the runoff from the barns and farmyard, planted 2,500 trees […] Read more
Scientists isolate human gene able to fend off most bird flu viruses
Finding may show which bird flu strains have human pandemic potential
London | Reuters — U.K. researchers have homed in on a human gene implicated in thwarting most bird flu viruses from infecting people. Bird flu chiefly spreads among wild birds such as ducks and gulls and can also infect farmed birds and domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys and quails. Although the viruses largely affect […] Read more
Saskatchewan to top up some claims for wildlife-damaged forage
Affected producers in southwestern, west-central areas eligible
Producers in southwestern and west-central Saskatchewan who lost stacked forage to wildlife feeding last winter may see a bump up in their compensation. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Wednesday announced a “supplemental freight adjustment” to their wildlife damage compensation program, administered by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC). SCIC, the province said, has “reassessed and […] Read more
French court bans sale of two Touchdown glyphosates
Court cites lack of analysis of effects on wildlife
Paris | Reuters — A French court has banned the sale of two glyphosate-based herbicides produced by Swiss chemical group Syngenta because of a lack of analysis on the chemical’s potential harm to some wildlife. “The decision on Sept. 30, 2020 by French health security agency ANSES to renew the marketing authorization for the chemical […] Read more
Avian flu farm-to-farm spread looks less likely
Wild birds remain most likely suspects, but the CFIA is investigating detection of the disease in flies and darkling beetles
Glacier FarmMedia – There are no signs that the spread of avian influenza will be contained anytime soon, according to a workshop recently hosted by Animal Health Canada. “We are now starting the third wave,” said Manon Racicot, veterinary epidemiologist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, during the March 29 workshop in Ottawa. Those waves […] Read more
Hedgerows enjoy potential new growth in Ontario
Living fence lines offer a plethora of biodiversity and ecological positives
The European practice of hedgerows and hedge laying is slowly entering Ontario’s landscape. During a recent Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario webinar, Jim Jones, a British ecologist and hedge laying expert, explained how a managed hedgerow can fulfil several roles within agriculture. Why it matters: Managed North American hedgerows could provide a biodiversity and ecological […] Read more
Poultry sector resumes vigilance over avian influenza
Highly pathogenic strain resurfaces for Wave 3 of outbreak
The spring run of highly pathogenic avian influenza has started, but a year of experience managing the disease has Ontario farmers ready with new knowledge and tools. As of March 23, there were two confirmed cases in Ontario in domestic poultry and numerous suspected and confirmed deaths of wild birds. Why it matters: More than […] Read more
Study tracks wild bird infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza
First-of-its-kind study looks at how the virus may be spread by wild birds
Glacier FarmMedia – For the first time, scientists have tracked the movement of a wild bird known to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza in North America. The new research, led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), may improve estimates of when and where the virus could spread in the environment and to other birds. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
