BRAMPTON, ON (March 7, 2025) – Peel Public Health suspects cases of avian influenza in wild birds in Peel following the discovery of a large number of dead birds in the region recently. The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative is currently testing the birds to determine the cause of death.
Avian influenza primarily infects wild birds but can be transmitted to poultry and other mammals. Rarely, avian influenza may also spread to people. The risk of bird-to-human transmission is low. There have been no human cases of avian influenza in Peel or Ontario.
If you find sick or dead wild birds, avoid handling them if possible, and contact your local municipal animal control department or the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
To limit the spread of avian influenza and protect the health and safety of residents and pets, Peel Public Health has the following advice:
- If handling dead birds or animals is necessary, wear gloves, place the dead bird or animal in a doubled plastic bag and tie it closed. Then, wash your hands thoroughly. They can be placed, double-bagged, in the garbage for disposal.
- Consider removing backyard bird feeders and bird baths. If they cannot be fully removed, place as far away from family pets as possible and clean with 10 per cent bleach at least once every two weeks.
- Keep family pets away from birds and fecal matter.
- Keep cats indoors and dogs on leash to limit the potential for an encounter with an infected bird.
- Do not feed family pets raw meat from game birds or poultry.
- Do not feed or otherwise interact with wild birds.
- Pet birds, if not normally kept indoors, should be restricted to the indoors.
- Residents who raise backyard chickens, own pet birds or maintain other flocks, should monitor them for signs of avian influenza and follow preventive actions recommended by the Province and Government of Canada.
- Do not attempt to retrieve or help birds from seemingly frozen bodies of water as ice and water conditions are unsafe.
- If you become ill with influenza (flu) symptoms (including fever, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, headache and/or red watery eyes) within 10 days of handling wild birds or other wildlife, see your healthcare provider. Inform your healthcare provider that you have been in contact with wildlife.
The risk of avian influenza spreading to humans is extremely rare. There are no indicators of increasing risk to the general public at this time. Additional details will be provided as they become available. More information on avian influenza can be found on the Ministry of Health’s website.