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While the risks to recent visitors are likely low, yesterday Alberta Health Services released the following health advisory, after a local petting zoo (Butterfield Acres) was closed for HPAI (presumably, H5N1).
Visitors to the farm between October 6th and the 12th are asked to monitor for - and report - any flu-like symptoms for the next few days. Anyone who is symptomatic should isolate at home, and call Health Link at 811 for assessment and testing.
First the link to the Health Advisory (and accompanying FAQ), after which I'll have a brief postscript.
Avian Influenza at Butterfield Acres Petting Farm
October 19, 2025
CALGARY – Primary Care Alberta (PCA) was notified on October 16th, 2025, of nine poultry cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) at Butterfield Acres in Foothills County located at 254077 Rocky Ridge Rd NW, Calgary, AB, which operates a petting farm.
The facility was voluntarily closed from October 13 - 17, 2025. On October 17th, 2025, AHS issued a formal closure order for the facility. The facility will remain closed until the conditions of the order are met and until public health inspectors and medical officers of health have deemed it safe to reopen.
While HPAI primarily affects birds, rare human infections have occurred through close contact with infected animals. The risk to the public remains low. However, individuals who visited the petting farm between October 6 and October 12, 2025, are asked to consider the following recommendations:
Individuals with symptoms
If you have experienced fever, cough, sore throat, or other flu-like symptoms and visited the farm between October 6 - 12, 2025, it is recommended you isolate at home, and call Health Link at 811 for assessment and testing. When calling 811 select Option “2” and then Option “1.”
Symptoms of Avian Influenza
Symptoms of avian influenza can range from very mild to severe, depending on the specific virus. The most common symptoms include:Individuals without symptoms
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Muscle/body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat, cough, stuffy or runny nose
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting (rare)
If you do not have symptoms, you do not need to call 811. Continue to monitor your health. If you visited Butterfield Acres between October 6 - 12, 2025 and develop symptoms within 10 days of visiting, it is recommended you isolate at home and call Health Link at 811 for assessment and potential referral for testing.
Anyone with questions or concerns can contact Health Link to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by dialing 811.
Primary Care Alberta is a made-in-Alberta solution to improve access to the primary care services Albertans rely on. By delivering coordinated services, Primary Care Alberta allows for valued healthcare professionals to do what they do best ─ care for you. Together, we are creating a future where compassionate, timely and effective healthcare is available to every Albertan at every stage of life.
Since most of the visitors who might have been exposed are nearing the end of their expected 10-day incubation period, hopefully this will turn out to be a non-event.
Of course, mild cases may have already occurred - but are not yet reported - and workers at the farm have presumably been exposed far more recently. We'll probably know more a week from now.
The concern is that children - the primary demographic for attending petting zoos - have historically been at greater risk of contracting HPAI H5 than adults.
They are not only more likely to become infected, they are more likely to suffer severe disease. And it has become nearly a cliché that exposure to poultry is usually cited as their likely source of exposure.
The CDC's recommendations for visiting animal exhibits is pretty clear about the risks, even before adding HPAI to the mix. A few of many outbreaks we've covered include:
- We've seen numerous large outbreaks of Salmonella linked to Easter Chicks, and backyard poultry (see here, here, and here).
- In 2019 we followed an outbreak linked to a petting zoo in San Diego (see 10 Confirmed, 1 Probable E. coli STEC Cases Linked To County Fair), which resulted in the death of a 2-year old boy.
- While in 2012's That Duck May Look Clean, But . . . we looked at an outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo involving 66 persons across 20 states linked to the handling of live poultry (baby chicks or ducklings or both) sold via mail-order hatcheries and agricultural feed stores.
Petting zoos
Every year, many people get sick after visiting an animal exhibit. From 2010-2015, about 100 outbreaks of illness in people linked to animals in public settings like zoos, fairs, and educational farms were reported to public health officials. Some of the most common harmful germs people get from animals at exhibits are E. coli, Cryptosporodium, and Salmonella.
Children - along with the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals - are considered at greatest risk; with the CDC advising that children under 5 not touch or handle poultry at all.
We've seen similar warnings issued about visiting agricultural exhibits at state and county fairs (see CDC: Updated Guidance to Help Prevent Spread of Flu at Agricultural Fairs).
The risks - while still low - appear to be greatest during the fall, winter, and early spring, when avian flu activity is typically at its peak.
After a relatively quite summer, over the past 6 weeks we've seen a huge increase in HPAI outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry in both the United States and Canada.
While I dislike the phrase `the new normal', as long as HPAI H5 continues to circulate at high levels, this is likely to remain our new reality.
