Ostriches at B.C. farm have version of avian flu not seen elsewhere in Canada: CFIA

National Post

a day ago

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It said the version includes a genotype that has been associated with a human infection in a poultry worker in Ohio.
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The agency also said Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., had been fined $20,000 for failing to co-operate with anti-avian flu measures.
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It said the farmers who are resisting a cull order have not substantiated claims of scientific research on the birds, and that the agency's planning for a cull of the birds goes on as protesters gather in an 'apparent attempt' to block the killings.
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The statement represents a rejection of the proposals of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wrote to the CFIA's president last week and called for the birds to be saved for joint research.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is the administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also said the birds should be saved and offered to relocate them to his ranch in Florida.
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The agency said in its statement that it had issued two violation notices to the farm for failing to report illnesses and deaths among the flock last year, and failing to follow quarantine orders.
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'The farm also failed to undertake appropriate biosecurity risk mitigation measures such as limiting wild bird access to the ostriches, controlling water flow from the quarantine zone to other parts of the farm, or improving fencing,' it said.
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'These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards.'
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Katie Pasitney, whose parents own the farm, said in a brief interview that she was unsure whether the fines were a new move by the CFIA but 'nothing surprises me at this point.'
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Dozens of protesters have gathered at the farm for weeks. Their numbers were bolstered on Friday by the arrival of a convoy of at least a dozen vehicles, social media livestreams showed.
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Sixty-nine ostriches died in December and January during an avian flu outbreak. The farm owners have said that the surviving 400 or so birds have developed herd immunity and are a valuable resource for scientists.
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'CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises,' the agency said.
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'Research documentation was not provided during the review of their request for exemption from the disposal order based on unique genetics or during the judicial review process. Further, the current physical facilities at their location are not suitable for controlled research activities or trials.'