OTTAWA: Canadian health officials have relaxed their ban on poultry for four U.S. states that have been cleared from any signs of bird flu.
On September 1, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced birds from Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho were free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and were once again safe to import. Poultry from Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and North and South Dakota are still at risk.
The CFIA instituted the ban in late 2014, after thousands of birds in British Columbia had to be destroyed following an outbreak.
As a result of the restriction, items such as raw poultry or other byproducts like eggs or pet food will not be allowed into Canada if they were processed, sourced or packaged in any of the eight restricted states. CFIA has also placed a ban on live birds or hatching eggs, feathers, poultry manure and laboratory material containing poultry byproducts.
Commercial imports are restricted from certain quarantined zones throughout Canada until further notice. Pet birds must be cleared through the U.S. Department of Agriculture before crossing the border.
