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Avian Influenza

Key facts about avian influenza

• Highly pathogenic H5N1 is a strain of AI virus currently affecting domestic poultry and wild waterfowl in several parts of the world.
• This virus does not easily cross from birds to humans.
• An H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in domestic poultry or wild waterfowl does not mean that there will be a human outbreak or a pandemic.
• Most people that have been infected in other parts of the world had been in close contact with live or dead infected domestic poultry.
• The risk to the public of catching the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from domestic poultry or products is very low, and there is no need to change food consumption habits or travel plans.
• Very specific measures are in place to protect domestic poultry. A cross-jurisdictional working group has been established to further refine the plans already in place to treat an AI outbreak in our domestic poultry operations.