Officials suspended the mass slaughter of poultry in British Columbia, saying avian flu has been virtually stamped out in the Fraser Valley.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday evening that the problem is now under control.

The cull of more than 16 million birds has left empty barns and destitute farmers in its wake.

The outbreak is estimated to have cost affected chicken farmers about $40 million so far.

The agency said it would continue to watch the situation, as the disease could flare up again.

Crews completed the cull of 1.3 million infected birds on 42 infected properties. Another 14 million healthy chickens, turkeys, ducks and other birds were also slaughtered.

These were tested, and if found negative, slaughtered and processed for consumption.

All Fraser Valley farmers now face a long process of decontaminating their barns before they can get back to production.

The food inspection agency said it's working with Ottawa on compensation for the industry.