Niverville, Man. goose die-off tied to avian flu: biologist

Residents of Niverville are baffled after dozens of dead geese were found on the town’s retention bond. CTV’s Joseph Bernacki explains.

Dozens of dead geese in a southern Manitoba town have left residents baffled, with one wildlife biologist attributing the die-off to avian flu.

“It’s pretty crazy to see this many dead birds out on the pond here,” said Niverville resident Mason Goulet.

He said there is a real concern among the community about local geese fatalities.

“Over the past couple of weeks, the numbers have been going up more and more,” Goulet said.

“I came home yesterday and there was actually one dead right on our deck there. There’s now about 30 or 40 as of the past couple of days here. So, it’s spreading quickly now.”

He said he’s noticed several geese struggling to move on the pond and acting strange in the frigid temperatures.

Frank Baldwin, a wildlife biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, said parts of southern Manitoba are experiencing mortalities based on the current strain of the avian influenza virus. He said the current Niverville die-off is confirmed to be avian flu, which has been in the area since mid-October.

“Specifically, it’s associated with the high pathogenicity strain of the virus, so that’s been confirmed through the provincial vet lab,” Baldwin said.

The biologist said it does not take much for the virus to spread among birds.

“Really what’s happening is they mingle with ducks and when we get cold weather, they get highly concentrated and the virus moves through the (geese) population very quickly,” Baldwin said.

In a statement to CTV News Winnipeg, a provincial spokesperson said the birds are noted for spreading avian flu when migrating.

“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.

This year, the Manitoba Wildlife Branch has tested approximately 726 geese in the province, and 54 have tested positive.

Geese ‘natural reservoir for influenza’

Hannah Wallace has studied infectious diseases like avian influenza for several years at the University of Manitoba Kindrachuk Lab.

She said the disease has remained problematic for birds over the last four years.

“Geese are a natural reservoir for influenza, so they do get infected,” Wallace said.

“That’s not surprising. But it is a little bit surprising to see so many fatalities at one time.”

She said the risk of human transmission is low, but pets need to be kept away from the deceased birds.

In mid-November, the Town of Niverville issued a statement over social media stating it “has been made aware that avian flu has been detected by the Manitoba Conservation Branch in the goose population in Niverville.”

The statement goes on to say, “As a precaution, we want to ask people to be safe when dealing with birds that appear to be sick or deceased. If you notice a bird that is sick or deceased, please ensure that you, your children or your pets do not approach it.”

The province said residents are encouraged to contact the tip line at 1-800-782-0076.