Niverville avian flu outbreak kills dozens of geese

A Niverville resident is on edge after seeing dozens of dead geese infected with avian influenza in a retention pond behind her home.

Megan McGregor, 34, knew something wasn’t right when she saw roughly 40 dead geese frozen in the pond’s ice.

“I definitely wish I could have helped them. It’s hard to just watch them, so I try not to look out my window,” she said.

For nearly six weeks, the geese behind McGregor’s home were acting strange, with some unable to stand up or abandoned by other geese. On Dec. 5, she said Manitoba Conservation officers collected and “chipped” the birds from the ice.

“It was really traumatizing because I was like ‘Is this the normal thing to see?’” she said.

Niverville’s administration released a statement on Nov. 13, alerting residents the Manitoba Conservation branch detected avian influenza, also known as bird flu, cases in geese and advised them not to approach the sick or dead birds.

Dr. Hannah Wallace, a virus researcher at the University of Manitoba’s Kindrachuk Lab, wasn’t surprised when she heard news of the avian influenza cases in Niverville. The current strain of the virus, H5N1, was first introduced into Canada in 2021 and caused mass deaths of multiple species of wild and farmed birds. Cases often spike during bird migration periods during fall and spring, Wallace noted. The recent cases of geese, ducks and other waterfowl getting sick are “a bit strange” because it’s common for the virus to circulate in those species without affecting them, she said.

The only way to manage the virus is to collect and dispose dead infected birds since there’s no way to vaccinate wild birds, she said.

“The thing about birds is that they fly, so they can move anywhere. They don’t respect borders, like the U.S. Canadian border doesn’t mean anything to them,” Wallace said. “So there are very minimal things we can do.”

She noted some of the common symptoms of avian influenza include birds doing repetitive behaviour or showing up in places where they shouldn’t be.

While there have been some rare cases of the virus infecting people, it’s still a low risk for the general public, Wallace said. Human cases are found when people have prolonged exposure, typically in poultry farms, she noted. But Wallace still recommends not touching or moving any infected or dead birds.

Pets have a higher risk of catching the virus if they eat or grab the birds, with cases of avian influenza previously found in cats and dogs, she said.

“Try to keep pets away from the dead animals as much as you can. I know that’s easier said than done. And just don’t touch dead birds. That’s the biggest thing,” Wallace said.

A provincial spokesperson said officials are aware of the recent bird deaths from the virus in the Niverville area.

“Wild birds, particularly geese, ducks, and shorebirds, are known to spread the virus between regions during spring and fall migrations, which is when new cases are most often detected,” they said in an email statement.

This year, Manitoba’s natural resources and Indigenous futures department tested 726 birds, with 54 testing positive.

They wouldn’t say how many infected birds have been found dead or whether the province has begun culling.

While the federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s avian influenza response is only for domestic or farmed birds, it coordinates wild bird surveillance between other federal and provincial bodies, such as Manitoba’s natural resources department, a federal spokesperson said.

“When avian influenza is detected, participating laboratories are required to report positive results directly to the CFIA. This ensures that findings are rapidly assessed, confirmed, and incorporated into Canada’s national disease monitoring system,” they said in an email statement.

While the department couldn’t provide numbers on wild animal infections, the virus previously impacted 77,000 birds housed by three commercial poultry businesses in the RM of Hanover in October, the spokesperson said.

Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck said residents who find sick or dead birds on private property should contact Manitoba Conservation so they can monitor and safely remove the birds.

”The community concerns about lingering geese in local ponds have been heard, and the Manitoba Conservation branch has been addressing the situation directly,” he said.

People can call the province’s tip line at 1-800-782-0076 if sick or dead birds are found.