Ottawa – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed a fifth case of H5 avian influenza in Esty.

For the second time in five days, a poultry farm in the regional provincial municipality (MRC) Les Sources has been affected.

Canards du Lac Brome producer confirmed Friday that another of its sites has bird flu. It is the place of Saint-Georges-de-Windsor, which brings the number of places affected for the company to four.

The company, one of Canada’s largest duck producers, announced Wednesday that it has had to cull 150,000 birds and lay off nearly 300 employees. The company estimates that it will likely take 6 to 12 months and large amounts of money to fully restore operations.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Francois Legault said his government was ready to provide assistance to Canard de Lac-Brummy.

Elsewhere in Istria

Between April 12 and 14, poultry farms in Broome-Missiskoy, Haute-Saint-François and Val-Saint-François were affected. Among them, two production sites for Canards du Lac Brome, including its head office, and the third is a small farm.

The CFIA confirms that the affected sites have been isolated and that procedures have been put in place to control movement. Other farms in the area are recommending increased biosecurity measures.

Initial control areas have been established by the agency in areas where the disease has been detected to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Canards du Lac Brome has also indicated that all of its products for sale are healthy and safe for consumption.

Veterinarian Jean-Pierre Villancourt, of the University of Montreal, noted that the type of bird flu found in Istria is highly contagious and represents the most endangered strain that Quebec farmers have ever encountered. It’s stronger and more contagious than others, which means the virus spreads further, according to your vet.