Dead geese test positive for bird flu in Caledon

Brampton | Caledon | Latest News |

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Published March 30, 2023 at 2:01 pm

A flock of dead geese in Caledon have tested positive for bird flu following similar cases that cropped up in Brampton earlier this month.

On March 17, the Town of Caledon said several dead birds had been found in a pond near Coleraine Dr. and Harvest Moon Dr. Earlier that day, the City of Brampton also issued a warning after around 100 dead birds, mostly Canadian Geese, were found in the area of Professor’s Lake and Duncan Foster Valley South.​

The dead animals found in Brampton tested positive for bird flu, and now the Town says Avian Influenza has been confirmed as the cause of death in the Caledon incident as well.

The incidents in Brampton and Caledon are not the only cases of bird flu in Ontario recently.

Earlier this month the Toronto Zoo shut down some of its bird enclosures after avian flu was detected at a southern Ontario poultry farm. That same week the Canadian Food Inspection Agency also detected a case at a commercial poultry operation southeast of Hamilton.

And while bird flu poses a low risk to humans, the virus is a threat to birds as a highly pathogenic type of bird flu has been killing millions of birds and infecting a record number of avian species in Canada since early 2022.

Peel Public Health is recommending residents and pet owners are asked to take the following precautions:

  • Keep animals away from any waterfowl or fecal matter
  • Do not feed or otherwise interact with the waterfowl
  • Keep cats indoors
  • Keep dogs on a leash (as required under the municipal by-law)
  • Do not feed pets (e.g., dogs or cats) any raw meat from game birds or poultry
  • Pet birds, if not normally kept indoors, should be restricted to the indoors
  • Bird feeders should be removed or washed with soap and water frequently to reduce the chance of bacterial or viral contamination

“Residents are asked to follow the recommended guidance to limit the spread of avian flu and protect the health and safety of residents and pets,” said Dr. Nicholas Brandon, Acting Medical Officer of Health at Peel Public Health.

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