US Health Secretary Asks CFIA to Reconsider Culling Ostriches at BC Farm

RFK Jr. says the ostriches present an opportunity for long-term research on avian flu for both countries.

A herd of ostriches is seen on Universal Ostrich Farms, a remote farm in Edgewood, B.C., in an undated photo. The Canadian Press/HO-Katie Pasitney

U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has asked the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to reconsider plans to cull birds at a B.C. ostrich farm.

The birds at Universal Ostrich Farms Inc. were exposed to avian flu and the CFIA has directed the more than 400 birds at the farm to be culled. However, the farm owners say the birds are valuable for research purposes as they likely have antibodies to the virus.

Kennedy also said in his letter to CFIA president Paul MacKinnon that the animals present an opportunity for long-term research on avian flu for both countries.

Kennedy posted the letter to social media, along with a message thanking MacKinnon and the CFIA for their participation in a phone call with himself, National Institute of Health director Jay Bhattacharya, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary to discuss a collaborative project between the organizations.

“It’s our hope that this collaboration will help us understand how to better protect human and animal populations and perhaps lead to the development of new vaccines and therapeutics,” he said in the May 23 post on the X platform.

The letter, signed by Kennedy, Bhattacharya, and Makary, asked the CFIA “to consider not culling the entire flock.”

“Given that a proportion of these ostriches were infected with avian influenza (H5N1) last year we believe there is significant value in studying this population,” they wrote.

“Avian flu is a shared threat that we jointly face.”

They gave several reasons not to cull the animals, including that the flock was in a controlled environment that would be optimal for long-term research. They also said the bird’s antibody levels and immunity were scientifically valuable.

Kennedy, Bhattacharay, and Makary offered “full support and assistance” in diagnostic testing and long-term research of the animals.

They noted that avian influenza is endemic in wild birds in Canada and the United States, and culling the ostriches would not effectively eliminate it.

They also said said the ostriches provide an opportunity to build knowledge about the virus.

“The indiscriminate destruction of entire flocks without up-to-date testing and evaluation can have significant consequences, including the loss of valuable genetic stock that may help explain risk factors for H5N1 mortality,” the letter said.

They said H5N1 does not “persist in birds indefinitely,” noting that it has an incubation period of between three and seven days, and added that because the birds have not shown symptoms for some time, to cull them is a “disproportionate measure.”

Katie Pasitney, whose mother runs Universal Ostrich with her partner, thanked Kennedy on Facebook.

“Thank you for trying to protect innovative science and these animals,” she wrote. “Together I know that we can create the most magical change out of this most challenging opportunity.”

The owners of the farm in Edgewood, B.C., have said the birds have developed herd immunity and are being used for research.

The CFIA made the decision to cull 400 birds at Universal Ostrich Farms citing public safety issues after two birds tested positive for H5N1. The agency said it’s important to cull the birds to prevent the disease from spreading.

The CFIA acknowledged that the risk to humans is low, but also said some serious cases and even death have been recorded in North America. It said that “depopulation” of infected birds is one of the strict biosecurity measures required to manage outbreaks.

Protesters have gathered at the farm trying to prevent CFIA from following through with its decision to cull the herd.

The family that runs the farm recently lost a judicial review of the CFIA decision, but had been granted an injunction of the action until the outcome of the court.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay board voted not to accept any ostrich carcasses from the farm until there had been further testing for avian flu.

The CFIA said on May 14 that it would still move ahead with plans to cull the animals but would not be publicly releasing the date it would do so.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.