Avian flu has been confirmed at a large chicken farm in Canada's central Saskatchewan province, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Thursday.
The H7N3 strain of the virus was found at Pedigree Poultry at Regina Beach, about 55 km northwest of provincial capital Regina.
The H7N3 is fatal to birds, but not dangerous to humans, the agency said in a press release on its website.
Necessary measures have been taken to contain the virus. All 50, 000 birds at the farm will be destroyed with carbon dioxide gas over the next few days. Equipment and tools at the facility will be cleaned and disinfected, CFIA veterinary specialist Sandra Stephens said.
A three-kilometer zone has also been established around the farm, she said.
Around the world, 200 people have died of avian flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
Canada's poultry industry was dealt a major blow in 2004 when an outbreak of one strain of avian flu in British Columbia forced the destruction of more than 17 million birds.
Source: Xinhua
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