Because avian influenza has been recently discovered at a commercial turkey operation in Ontario, the 2015 edition of London Poultry Show in London, Ontario, has been cancelled. The show had been scheduled for April 22-23.
The poultry industry in Ontario has been on alert since H5N2 avian influenza was confirmed in a commercial turkey flock near Woodstock. The virus was responsible for the death of about 9,000 of the 45,000 susceptible turkeys at the farm.
The decision to cancel the show was announced April 10 by the Poultry Industry Council (PIC) and the Western Fair District (WFD), based upon recommendations from industry groups Feather Board Command Center, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Egg Farmers of Ontario, Turkey Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission.
“While the London Poultry Show offers an important educational opportunity, we have determined that the risk to the industry outweighs any potential benefits of the show, as well as potential consequences resulting from its cancellation,” PIC and WFD said in a joint statement.
The show typically attracts several thousand visitors and more than 150 exhibitors.
To date, the Canadian province of Ontario has only had one outbreak of avian influenza. The virus has also affected commercial poultry flocks in British Columbia.
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