Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
March 25th, 2025
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
There hasn’t been a case of HPAI arriving at our hospital since December, 2024. The last reported case in domestic species in British Columbia was January 11th in Abbotsford (the Lower Mainland). As a result, we are slightly reducing the HPAI protocols at MARS Wildlife Rescue.
Our hospital will now be using the following protocols until we can be sure that spring migration hasn’t brought more HPAI to Vancouver Island.
- all waterfowl, gulls, diving ducks and spearfishers will continue a 7-day hard quarantine after being assessed by staff to enter the hospital (full PPE required, no contact with other susceptible species, etc.)
- raptors, corvids, and herons no longer need to undergo quarantine
- disinfecting of feet is still required when entering the hospital and before entering ambassador enclosures
We will continue to monitor the situation during spring migration to confirm that HPAI hasn’t appeared in birds coming up from the south.
If you see a bird exhibiting the clinical signs of avian influenza (What to Watch For) please call our hospital at 250 337-2021.
Visitor Centre Guests:
HPAI (avian flu) transmission prevention protocols for visitors: If you have chickens or ducks, please let your guide know. We will ask you to spray your shoes with a veterinary grade spray to mitigate disease transmission to our ambassador birds and eagle patients.
October 17th, 2024
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
As we head into another fall season, staff have found a number of HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) cases in Canada Geese already. While the populations of waterfowl in the Comox Valley have been highly decimated by this disease, there is still risk to many birds. HPAI is exacerbated by the stress of migration, especially when birds flock together in large numbers.
All potential carriers of the avian flu are screened by hospital staff before coming into the hospital, so as to protect the health of the current patients. Education staff have reintroduced protocols that were first set up at the beginning of the outbreak to help maintain protection for our ambassador birds, who are our top priority.
As for donations, we are currently unable to accept any culled chickens or other poultry. We cannot risk the transmission of HPAI to any of our patients or ambassadors. We are able to accept any human-grade processed poultry (chicken breasts, etc). We continue to accept beef and fish donations, as well as any produce and eggs.
If you raise chickens or other poultry, and would like to tour MARS facilities, please wear clothing that hasn’t been in direct contact with your flocks.
If you notice any wild waterfowl (geese, ducks, swans), raptors (hawks, eagles, owls) or corvids (crows, ravens, jays) with suspicious behaviour or any of the symptoms listed, please call the wildlife hospital at 250 337-2021 for guidance.
We thank you for your understanding and support at this time.
To understand the clinical signs point to avian flu, please read our What to Watch For list.
What to watch for:
-
- Behavioural abnormalities: falling over, head tilt, head and neck twisting, circling, paralysis, seizures
- Locomotion abnormalities: unable to stand or flap wings properly, yet with no traumatic injuries
- Mass mortality or clusters of wild bird mortality (mortality unexpected considering the natural history of the species)
- Sudden death
- Diarrhea
- Regurgitation
- Sneezing
- Blue “hazy” eyes
- Unexplained emaciation
- Lack of energy, movement, or appetite
- Open sores
- Discharge (clear or cloudy) from the mouth, nose, ears or vent
- Extensive swelling and/or purple discolouration of the tissues of the head (including the conjunctiva)
- Some species may be infected and remain asymptomatic. Waterfowl, shorebirds, and aquatic birds are most likely to shed HPAI without showing signs of illness.
What about bird feeders?
Gyl Andersen, our manager of wildlife rehabilitation, recommends waiting until the end of November to put up seed and suet feeders. Concentrating birds such as crows and jays at feeders has the potential to spread the pathogen. Once feeders do go up, please clean them weekly with a weak (1:10) bleach solution, and rake or wash away seed debris under your feeders. This will also help reduce salmonella spread. Protect birds from cats and other predators, and keep feeders within two meters of your windows to minimize window collisions.
Hummingbird feeders, cleaned weekly, are a low risk of HPAI transmission so can remain up.
November 6th, 2023
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
HPAI (High Pathogenic Avian Influenza) has been likely detected in multiple recent MARS hospital patients, including a Bald Eagle, Cackling Goose, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, and American Wigeon. When we say likely, it’s because we wait for confirmation from the provincial veterinary epidemiologist. Any suspected cases that we have sent for verification since the outbreak in 2022 has tested positive.
There have also be recent outbreaks in poultry flocks on the mainland.
As a result our hospital is reinstating many of its protocols from earlier in the year. Tour guests will be asked to wear hygienic booties for the part of the tour that passes the ambassodor enclosures and the flight pen. Details regarding how this affects food donations or other processes will be shared shortly.
To understand the clinical signs point to avian flu, please read our What to Watch For list.
August 10th 2023
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
We have been closely monitoring our local wildlife populations for positive cases of avian flu and have determined that the current risk to our ambassador birds from visitors is minimal. The number of cases has declined in our area, but the hospital continues to carefully screen new patients for symptoms of the flu and submits samples for testing when necessary.
What to watch for:
-
- Behavioural abnormalities: falling over, head tilt, head and neck twisting, circling, paralysis, seizures
- Locomotion abnormalities: unable to stand or flap wings properly, yet with no traumatic injuries
- Mass mortality or clusters of wild bird mortality (mortality unexpected considering the natural history of the species)
- Sudden death
- Diarrhea
- Regurgitation
- Sneezing
- Blue “hazy” eyes
- Unexplained emaciation
- Lack of energy, movement, or appetite
- Open sores
- Discharge (clear or cloudy) from the mouth, nose, ears or vent
- Extensive swelling and/or purple discolouration of the tissues of the head (including the conjunctiva)
- Some species may be infected and remain asymptomatic. Waterfowl, shorebirds, and aquatic birds are most likely to shed HPAI without showing signs of illness.
November 14th, 2022
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
The wildlife hospital remains open 7 days a week, from 9 to 5. See protocols below.
Our visitor centre and gift shop are open Friday to Sunday, 10 to 3. Please see our home page for latest guest protocols and to book a tour.
Updates to our HPAI
prevention protocols:
• Biosecurity measures remain in place for the MARS site. For our staff and volunteers working with wildlife, this includes sanitizing footbaths, a separate patient admission building, quarantine zones for different species, and covering the Ambassador enclosures.
• If you are bringing an injured wild animal to MARS, please remain in your vehicle. Call the hospital at 250-337-2021 ext. 0 to speak to rehab staff. The staff will come retrieve the patient from your vehicle.
May 13th, 2022
Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from Gyl Andersen, Manager of Wildlife Rehabilitation.
The Wildlife Hospital remains open, but the temporary closure of our Visitor Centre will drastically reduce our funds at a time when they are most needed. It is Baby Season at MARS and the influx of injured and orphaned baby birds, raccoon kits, and other small mammals has begun. Our biggest expenses at this time of year are typically food and nursery supplies, but we also need to purchase additional personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to combat HPAI. We hope to be able to open our Visitor Centre to the public soon, but in the meantime we are calling on our supporters for help! Any contribution you can make to our animal care fund would be very much appreciated. If you can support us, please visit our Ways to Give page.
Updates to our HPAI
prevention protocols:
• We have increased biosecurity measures for the MARS site. This includes sanitizing footbaths, a separate patient admission building, quarantine zones for different species, and covering the Ambassador enclosures. Our infection control plan will be available on our website soon.
• Do not bring deceased wild birds to MARS. Please call MARS at 250-337-2021 for guidance. You can also report suspicious bird deaths to the Bird Hotline: 1-866-431-BIRD (2473).
• We are currently unable to accept donations of poultry, waterfowl, or eggs as food for the animals.
May 5th, 2022
BC is in the midst of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
We expect to take a financial hit during this time. We will need to purchase more personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. We may also lose income from our Visitor Centre due to reduced tours. Please consider supporting us with a donation to our animal care fund. Every little bit helps us to continue rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife!
Clinical Signs of HPAI
-
- Sudden death
- Diarrhea
- Regurgitation
- Sneezing
- Unexplained emaciation
- Lack of energy, movement, or appetite
- Decreased egg production
- Open sores
- Discharge (clear or cloudy) from the mouth, nose, ears or vent
- Extensive swelling and/or purple discolouration of the tissues of the head (including the conjunctiva)
- Abnormal feathers: annular constrictions of the shaft, shaft haemorrhages, or retained waxy sheaths
- Behavioural abnormalities: falling over, head tilt, head and neck twisting, circling, paralysis, seizures
- Locomotion abnormalities: unable to stand or flap wings properly, yet with no traumatic injuries
- Mass mortality or clusters of wild bird mortality (mortality unexpected considering the natural history of the species)
- Some species may be infected and remain asymptomatic. Waterfowl, shorebirds, and aquatic birds are most likely to shed HPAI without showing signs of illness.