Wildlife officials say testing has confirmed avian influenza as the likely cause of a recent crow die-off in Chatham-Kent. In an update provided Wednesday, Brian Stevens, a wildlife pathologist with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, says six crow specimens collected from the area have tested positive for avian influenza virus. “With the help of Canadian Wildlife Service, we were able to get six crow specimens in for testing,” Stevens said. “Samples were sent to the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph, and all six crows tested positive for avian influenza virus.” Stevens says the samples will now be sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for further testing to confirm the results. “Based on these preliminary results, it is highly likely that the mortality affecting these crows is secondary to an infection with avian influenza (bird flu),” he said. Dozens of dead crows were reported over the weekend near the Thames River in Chatham, prompting concern from residents and an investigation by provincial and wildlife authorities. Public health officials have previously said the risk to humans remains low, but residents are urged not to touch sick or dead wildlife and to keep pets away from affected areas.
