25.11.2005

Officials confirmed Friday that 35 wild birds sampled in the Maritimes tested positive for H5 avian influenza viruses. The infected birds, mostly black ducks and mallards, were found largely in an area around the Tantramar marshes (1) near the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border. One positive case was found in Prince Edward Island (2).
All of the birds were said to be in good health.
Further tests need to be done to fully identify the viruses.
Of 710 birds tested in the Maritimes as part of a national wild bird surveillance program, about 325 were found to be carrying various forms of avian influenza, with 35 of them H5 viruses. One was thought to be carrying an H7 virus, but further tests came back negative.