The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing measures to protect Canada's poultry resources from an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza reported in poultry in the states of Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, USA.

Travellers should know that, due to this outbreak, all raw poultry and all poultry products and by-products that are not fully cooked, including eggs and raw pet foods, sourced, processed, or packaged from the states of Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington are under restriction until further notice. You may not bring these items into Canada.

These measures are a normal part of Canada's animal disease control efforts and are consistent with international guidelines on trade.

Examples of restricted items include:

• live birds and hatching eggs
• eggs, yolks, egg whites (albumen)
• poultry meat (other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products)
• raw pet foods containing poultry products
• feathers
• poultry manure and litter
• laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products.

Live pet birds may be brought into Canada with official certification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Commercial imports of live poultry, birds and raw or untreated avian products are restricted from the specific quarantine zones within the states of Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington until further notice. Commercial importers should refer to the CFIA's Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) for more information on restricted products.

There is no food safety risk associated with these products. These measures are being taken to prevent the introduction of avian influenza into other parts of Canada.