Latest news with #avianflu
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CFIA fines B.C. ostrich farm and says cull will occur, rejecting U.S. intervention
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it has fined a British Columbia ostrich farm $20,000 for failing to co-operate with anti-avian flu measures, rebuffing interventions in the case by United States health officials. 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. Friday's statement about Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., 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. 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. 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. "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. "These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards." 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." 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. 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. "CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises," the agency said. "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." The farmers lost an attempt to halt the cull via judicial review when a Federal Court judge ruled on May 13 that the operation could proceed. An appeal against that ruling was lodged this week, but the farmers have not secured a stay of the cull order. "Following the May 13 court ruling, the farm owners and supporters have been at the farm in an apparent attempt to prevent the CFIA from carrying out its operations at the infected premises," the CFIA said Friday. "This has delayed a timely and appropriate response to the (avian flu) infected premises, resulting in ongoing health risks to animals and humans." It said given that the flock had "multiple laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1" and that there were ongoing serious risks for animal and human health, and trade, the CFIA "continues planning for humane depopulation with veterinary oversight at the infected premises." This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
B.C. ostrich farm facing $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine, cull birds: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says that an ostrich farm is facing a $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine and cull its birds. In a statement released May 30, the agency said Universal Ostrich Farm has failed to follow federal regulations, including not reporting the initial cases of illness and death at their farm, and failing to adhere to quarantine orders. "Universal Ostrich Farm was issued two notices of violations with penalty, totaling $20,000," the statement says, though it does not say when the fines were issued. The in-depth statement provides more details about the CFIA's inspection of the farm dating back to December 2024 and comes as U.S. officials, including health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, have weighed in on the case, urging Canadian officials not to kill the birds. Many of the details in the statement, however, were already shared during a two-day court case undertaken after Universal Ostrich received an injunction staving off the order. This includes the fact that the CFIA learned that ostriches were dying through an anonymous tip, and that the farm did not quarantine its birds during the avian flu outbreak, which killed 69 of the approximately 450 birds on the farm, allowing wild animals and people to freely mingle with infected animals. "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. These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards," the CFIA's statement reads. The statement also says the farm has failed to substantiate its claims that the ostriches are being used for scientific research, stating that the "CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises." The farm has repeatedly claimed that its birds are unique and can be used to develop antibodies to avian flu and COVID-19 but the CFIA says the farm was unable to back up those claims and that "further, the current physical facilities at their location are not suitable for controlled research activities or trials." Universal Ostrich has filed an appeal of the earlier court ruling allowing the cull to move ahead, though that appeal has not yet been accepted. The CFIA says the cull will move ahead, as is necessary to protect public health and Canada's economic agreements with other countries.
CBC
8 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
B.C. ostrich farm facing $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine, cull birds: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says that an ostrich farm is facing a $20,000 fine over failure to quarantine and cull its birds. In a statement released May 30, the agency said Universal Ostrich Farm has failed to follow federal regulations, including not reporting the initial cases of illness and death at their farm, and failing to adhere to quarantine orders. "Universal Ostrich Farm was issued two notices of violations with penalty, totaling $20,000," the statement says, though it does not say when the fines were issued. The in-depth statement provides more details about the CFIA's inspection of the farm dating back to December 2024 and comes as U.S. officials, including health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, have weighed in on the case, urging Canadian officials not to kill the birds. Many of the details in the statement, however, were already shared during a two-day court case undertaken after Universal Ostrich received an injunction staving off the order. This includes the fact that the CFIA learned that ostriches were dying through an anonymous tip, and that the farm did not quarantine its birds during the avian flu outbreak, which killed 69 of the approximately 450 birds on the farm, allowing wild animals and people to freely mingle with infected animals. "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. These actions significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and reflect a disregard for regulatory compliance and animal health standards," the CFIA's statement reads. The statement also says the farm has failed to substantiate its claims that the ostriches are being used for scientific research, stating that the "CFIA has not received any evidence of scientific research being done at the infected premises." The farm has repeatedly claimed that its birds are unique and can be used to develop antibodies to avian flu and COVID-19 but the CFIA says the farm was unable to back up those claims and that "further, the current physical facilities at their location are not suitable for controlled research activities or trials." Universal Ostrich has filed an appeal of the earlier court ruling allowing the cull to move ahead, though that appeal has not yet been accepted.
Reuters
16 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Avian flu steamrolls at penny-grabbing Uncle Sam
NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - There's more to defending the United States than supplying the military, but the country's budget priorities have been thrown badly out of whack. The Trump administration just canceled a $770 million contract with Moderna (MRNA.O), opens new tabto develop, opens new tab an avian flu vaccine and the rights to buy the jabs. For the price of seven F-35 fighter jets, the government is taking a big risk against a formidable foe. Pandemics are no longer the long-shot threat that many politicians once believed. The last one killed more Americans than all the country's wars combined. It also cost some $14 trillion, mostly from lost business revenue, according to research, opens new tab from the University of Southern California. Lingering health effects add $4 trillion to the tab, Harvard University economist David Cutler estimated, opens new tab. The H5N1 virus already has caused egg prices to rise. Flu is also notorious for its ability to mutate and spread to humans. A deadly infectious disease similar to the one in 1918 might lead to 70 million deaths worldwide. Yanking money for Moderna's research follows a bad pattern. Trump appointed a man who champions debunked anti-vaccine science to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He also has proposed slashing the already shrunken, opens new tab $45 billion budget for the National Institutes of Health by about 40%. Moreover, the president cut billions of funding for Harvard University, one of the world's biggest medical researchers. Other curious decisions abound. The government, for example, recently awarded $500 million to develop so-called universal vaccines that target multiple strains of a virus, but it's all going to a single project linked, opens new tab to Trump's former NIH chief, according to CBS News. It also uses old technology, clinical trials won't start until next year, and the target for Food and Drug Administration approval is 2029. Moderna's use of messenger RNA to trigger immune responses is far more promising and more easily put into wider production. The company was aiming for a greenlight on its H5 vaccine by early 2026. From there, it's easier to match a circulating strain and produce millions of doses. The effort probably will be slowed rather than stopped. Moderna might secure funding from abroad or use its own cash. Even so, if an avian flu starts to spread, the United States may have to get in line behind other countries scrambling for limited production. As far as cost-benefit analyses go, this one is dangerously bird-brained. Follow Robert Cyran on Bluesky, opens new tab.
Globe and Mail
21 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Canada wants to kill 400 ostriches. Sadly, it's the right thing to do
On Dec. 31 of last year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency declared an H5N1 outbreak at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C. CFIA had been tipped that some ostriches at the farm had died, so sent investigators out to see what was going on. Indeed, 69 of the bird met their death from the avian flu, which set in motion decisions that continue to reverberate. When it comes to battling this disease, Canada follows guidelines set out by the World Organization for Animal Health. That policy insists that if birds or animals have been infected with the virus and have been part of a larger flock or group, then the most effective way of stamping out the disease and preventing it from spreading elsewhere, including to humans, is to eliminate them all. And in January of this year, that is what CFIA ordered take place – meaning 400 ostriches on the Edgewood farm were effectively placed on death row. They were scheduled to be destroyed by Feb. 1. Earlier this month, a Federal Court judge denied two judicial reviews brought by the farm against the CFIA directive. The farm owners have appealed again. They have received support in their battle from animal-rights activists, Indigenous leaders and some politicians. Some truly big names have also jumped to their defence. B.C. ostrich cull to go ahead despite RFK Jr. intervention Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has become involved. In a call with CFIA president Paul MacKinnon this month, Mr. Kennedy urged Canada to halt the cull in the name of science. He argues there is much to learn from the immune response of the ostriches that survived the flu outbreak. If that wasn't enough, former Oprah Winfrey health expert and now administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has jumped into the fray, offering to relocate the birds to his ranch in Florida. The Universal owners have said they want to keep the birds in Canada. So, does CFIA have its head in the sand or what? From a purely scientific standpoint, I would say no. Avian flu is a potentially lethal virus. In November of last year, the B.C. Ministry of Health reported its first case of bird flu in a human – a teenager who fell dangerously ill but eventually recovered. But the risk it poses to the human population is real and deadly serious. Then there is the threat it poses to Canadian farmers, including the $6.8-billion domestic poultry industry. The federal government reports that 14.5 million birds on more than 500 farms have been affected by the H5N1 virus since 2022, including more than 8.7 million in B.C. This includes birds that have died from the virus or have been 'depopulated' – in other words, euthanized - by CFIA. The virus has also spread to cattle and other animals in North America, although in far fewer numbers. While I'm admittedly not an expert on pathogenic avian-influenza viruses, it seems to me that allowing a domestic poultry flock known to have been exposed to the H5N1 virus to subsist and therefore potentially allow the disease to persist, mutate and spread, would be a mistake. With 8.7 million birds dead, B.C. farmers assess avian flu toll and worry about the future The U.S. hasn't always been consistent in using this 'stamp out' approach. It paid the price late last year when avian flu infected poultry farms, resulting in the deaths of millions of birds and causing the price of eggs to spike. Canada did not see the same escalation in egg costs because we protected our flocks through culling. Of course, Canada's policy is not a cure-all. If it was, it would have stopped the spread of the disease already. But it's arguably the best method of preventing the virus from causing greater harm. It also offers the best hope of a farm returning to disease-free status and protecting Canada's export markets in the process. Mr. Kennedy's brainstorm is to just let the disease run its course and let the feathers fall where they may. I don't want to underestimate the psychological, emotional and financial toll this situation has taken on the owners of Universal Ostrich Farms. The idea of watching 400 of their ostriches killed through yet-to-determined means would be gut-wrenching, and the $3,000 per bird the government offers in compensation would hardly seem sufficient. If Dr. Oz is willing to take the birds to his ranch, and they can be shipped safely, that would seem to be a better option than putting the birds to death. But otherwise, granting a stay of execution based purely on emotional grounds would set a terrible precedent, pose a danger to the country and would likely lead to worse decisions on this front down the road.
