A popular Calgary petting zoo, which has been temporarily shut down due to confirmed cases of avian flu, remains closed, officials told Global News.
In an email Friday evening, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Butterfield Acres “remains an infected premises.”
“(It) is subject to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) restrictions until cleaning and disinfection has been completed on the farm, followed by a standard 14-day vacancy period where domestic birds are not reintroduced to the premises,” a spokesperson for the CFIA wrote.
According to Alberta Health Services, as of Friday morning, 20 people had been referred for testing through Health Link, 10 of which are children.
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The agency told Global News that no cases of avian flu have been detected in humans, as tests done in 17 people so far have been negative.
The Calgary-area farm, which includes a petting zoo, closed voluntarily from Oct. 13 to 17, and Alberta Health Services issued a formal order for closure on Oct. 17.
The closure came after Primary Care Alberta was notified on Oct. 16 of nine avian flu cases in poultry.
The farm must remain closed until the conditions of the order are met and until public health inspectors and medical officers of health deem it safe to reopen.
Last week’s order also urged people who visited the petting farm between Oct. 6 and 12 to monitor for symptoms.
Anyone who visited the farm during this period and has since experienced a fever, sore throat, cough, or other flu-like symptoms is asked to isolate at home and call Health Link at 811 for assessment and testing. Select option “2” and then option “1” when calling 811. They are also asked to isolate.
People who have not experienced symptoms do not need to call 811, and do not need to isolate, but are advised to continue to monitor their health.
The farm says it is working closely with provincial and federal health authorities to resolve the situation.
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