7 countries impose restrictions on British Columbia poultry due to avian influenza

Seven countries have imposed trade restrictions on Canadian poultry as a fifth farm in British Columbia was put under quarantine for avian influenza.

Officials said Saturday that more than 140,000 turkeys and chickens from the affected farms will be euthanized.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the fifth farm near Abbotsford was quarantined after higher than normal turkey deaths were reported by a farmer Friday.

B.C. chief veterinary officer Dr. Jane Pritchard says 60,000 turkeys are in the fifth farm. Avian influenza was first detected a week ago on a broiler-breeder chicken farm in Chilliwack.

Officials say no people have fallen ill.

The B.C. outbreak has led at least seven countries — the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, South Africa and Mexico — to ban poultry products from B.C. or all of Canada.