US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He says he talked to Canadian health officials about saving a herd of ostrich in British Columbia, which were killed because of the fear of bird flu.
In a statement published in X, Kennedy says that he talked to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Paul Mackinnon on Thursday to discuss the fate of about 400 ostrich on Universal Ottrich in Edgewood, BC, in which bird flu was detected in two dead birds in December 2024.
In a letter to Mackinnon and sent to X, Kennedy repeats that “cfia asks” with respect, believes that he has not repealed the whole herd of ostrich, “arguing”, we believe that there is a significant value in the study of this population. “
Demonstrators are gathering at Universal Ottrich Farm in Edgewood, BC, to protest against the federal order to embrace the herd of almost 400 after two ostrich tested in angle of bird flu in December. The farm lost a court challenge against the Cull order last week.
For cited reasons, there is a long -lasting nature of ostrich and the ability to have information about antibody for bird flu.
Then he writes that the American Department of Health and Social Welfare, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency will ensure their “full support and help” in conducting the proposed tests and research.
The letter, signed by Kennedy, as well as the director of Nih, Jay Bhattachary and Commissioner FDA Martin A. Makara, states that although US officials understand the importance of stopping the spread of bird flu, they believe that killing survivors in Universal Ostrich almost six months after the last bird considered to be infected.
He also warns against the policy of killing all birds in every infected herd, taking into account the universal nature of bird flu in the populations of wild birds.
This is not the first time Kennedy considered the case, previously asked about it during the interval in the New York radio program and telling the host that he was “terrified of the idea that they would kill these animals.”
Cfia said Cull would go ahead
CBC News has reached CFIA for answers.
Earlier on the same day, the agency provided CBC News in a statement indicating that Cull would move forward and it will not be supplemented by birds. He would also not consider issuing the principle of “stamping”, which is used to all herds of “domestic poultry” in which it is detected with bird flu, which includes ostrich and emu along with ducks, chickens and turkeys.
“In accordance with the policy of stamping Canada, all domestic birds in infected rooms are deserted to control the risk of further spread,” wrote the spokesman.
Court documents have shown that CFIA provided a universal ostrich procedure for applying for release, but that it did not meet the required standards, which would involve the proof that the birds were considered rare or unique to save them. The methods of proven this include breeding books, recognition from the certified breed or poultry industry or specific genomic tests that the farm could not provide.
In Canada, only one exemption from the Cull order was awarded, in the case of a turkey farm in 2022, in which the bird flu was detected in two barns, but not others on the rooms, because these animals were retained separate and secured to prevent possible spread of the disease between different structures – conditions do not exist in universal ostrich in which the inspectors observed wild birds. Quarantine policy.
In this earlier statement, CFIA claims that politics is based on the standards of the World Animal Health Organization and states that “a single laboratory confirmed the case of H5 flu is sufficient to announce the infected rooms, taking into account how easily the disease can spread to other birds.”
In the case of a universal farm farm, the disease was confirmed by taking the duplicate samples of two recently deceased birds.
Supporters are gathering
The farm attracted many supporters from Canada and the international arena, of which the property was stationed in a few days after On May 13, a federal court ruling Stating that Cull can move on.
The judge in this judgment did not consider the scientific arguments of the case, ruling that CFIA has a ticket from the federal government to deal with cases such as Culls, and the commitment of the judiciary would be inappropriate.
Instead, the ruling stated that CFIA took appropriate channels and policies when making decisions.
Cfia argued that her policy is based on scientific research, as well as Canada's international duties to prevent mutation and spread of influenza flu influenza, potentially making it more dangerous for both people and animals.
Several politicians, including the Prime Minister BC David, expressed the frustration that CFIA did not carry out much flexibility in an individual case.
Jordan Kealy, an independent MLA and a farmer who visited Universal Ottrich, told CBC many people who raise farm animals, are concerned about stamp policy, arguing that serving bird flu has so widely spread to wild birds that it is almost impossible to prevent possible infection, while allowing animals to interact with the outside world.
However, CFIA claims that it recognizes both the economic and emotional impact of Culls, which is why it offers compensation for all killed animals – up to $ 3000 per animal in the case of ostrich.
Difficult decision: professor
Fiona Brinkman, a professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of the University of Simon Fraser, said CBC News after a court decision that CFIA is in a difficult situation in the face of a highly infectious disease that affects not only birds, but also mammals, including human.
“It's really difficult,” she said in an interview with CBC Daybreak to the south Host Chris Walker. “This is ultimately a pathogen tragedy, which is now a threat to many industries and many animals.”
She said that the biggest fear is that the new variant of bird flu could mutate, which is even more dangerous for animals and people.
But, she said, she hoped that CFIA would conduct new ostrich tests, now that so much time passed since the first order of Cull.
“I hope there will be a little more investigation,” she said.
Daybreak to the south7:44BC Professor believes that CFIA should collect more data before the order enforcement to bring a herd of ostrich
Fiona Brinkman is a professor at the Faculty of Molecular Biology of the Simon Fraser University. He weighs on the order to embrace the herd of ostrich in the south -west BC
Brinkman noticed that in the case of most home herds of birds, the mortality rate after detecting bird flu is over 90 percent, but it was not in the case of ostrich, and most are still alive. This meant, however, that the virus could “remain” in birds for a long time, potentially spreads to wild herds.
“There is a real problem when birds are unable to be protected,” she said. “For example, poultry can be placed in a barn. It is not suitable for ostrich.”