The 2014-15 outbreak in the Fraser Valley

DEC. 2, 2014: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announces the presence of H5 avian flu on two farms in the Fraser Valley — a turkey farm in Abbotsford and a broiler breeder farm in Chilliwack. Tests later confirm the strain as highly pathogenic H5N2 virus.

DEC. 3, 2014: Two farms that received birds from one of the original farms are placed under quarantine. Birds there also show signs of illness. All will be euthanized.

DEC. 6, 2014: The flu spreads to a fifth site, a turkey farm in Abbotsford.

DEC. 8, 2014: CFIA establishes a primary control zone bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the U.S. border, on the north by Highway 16, and on the east by the Alberta border. The control zone is divided into three disease-control zones: infected, up to three kilometres from an infected site; restricted, up to 10 kilometres; and security, beyond 10 kilometres. Movements of birds and poultry products are strictly controlled and require permits.

DEC. 10, 2014: The flu is believed to have spread to nine poultry operations.

DEC. 17, 2014: Virus sequencing reveals gene segments from the high pathogenic Eurasian H5N8 virus and segments from typical North American viruses, including the N2 gene. It’s the first time a Eurasian lineage highly pathogenic H5 virus has caused an avian influenza outbreak in North America.

FEB. 7, 2015: CFIA confirms the presence of a high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on a noncommercial farm in Chilliwack for the first time during the outbreak in the Fraser Valley.

MARCH 9, 2015: CFIA removes the avian influenza primary control zone. Permits are no longer required for moving birds and bird products in B.C. Export restrictions continue.

JUNE 3, 2015: CFIA notifies the World Organisation for Animal Health that the province is free of detectable avian flu after a threemonth surveillance period.