Jr. RFK said he had spoken with Canadian health officials about rescuing BC Ostrich Flock from Cull.

U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy said in a statement to X that he discussed the fate of about 400 ostrichs at Universal Ostrich in Edgewood, British Columbia on Thursday, and found bird flu in two dead birds in December 2024.

In a letter to McKinnon and a letter to X, Kennedy reiterated that he “respects” the “request” of the CFIA “consider not to eliminate the entire ostrich,” believing that “we believe there is great value in studying this population. ”

One reason for citation is the longevity properties of ostrichs and the possibility that they may hold information about antibodies against influenza in the avian species.

He went on to write that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will provide their “full support and assistance” when conducting tests and research.

The letter was made by Kennedy, along with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Martin A.

Given the widespread nature of avian influenza in wild bird populations, it also warns of a policy to kill all birds in all sheep flocks.

It is not the first time Kennedy weighed the case, after being asked in an interview on a New York radio show and told the owner that he was “shocked by the idea that they were going to kill the animals.”

CFIA says Cull will continue to move forward

CBC News has contacted CFIA for response.

Earlier in the day, the agency provided a statement to CBC News that the knockout round will move forward and that birds will not be retested. It also won't consider the predictions of its “stampage” policy, which applies to all “family poultry” flocks that detect bird flu, including ostrich and emus as well as ducks, chickens and turkeys.

“Under Canada's stampede policy, household birds in all infected sites have been population-decreased to control the risk of further transmission,” the spokesperson wrote.

Court documents show that the CFIA provides universal ostrich for the process to apply for exemptions, but fails to meet the required criteria, which will involve proof that these birds are considered rare or unique enough to survive. Methods to prove this include breeding books, certified breed associations or accreditation from the poultry industry or specific genome tests that are not available on the farm.

Only one exemption was approved in Canada, and in the 2022 Turkish Farm case, bird flu was found in two barns, but no avian flu was found under the premise, but no exemption was made because the animals were preserved separately and safety measures had been taken and the disease of safety was adopted to prevent diseases that exist between the common wild birds and different structures that do not exist in wild birds, which are not present in wild birds, and wild birds, wertotial of severe ober of birder of ofer of ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer ofer of

In an early statement, the CFIA said the policy was based on World Organization for Animal Health standards, noting that “because the disease can easily spread to other birds, the H5 Avian flu case confirmed by a single laboratory is sufficient to declare an infected place. ”

In the case of Universal Ostrich Farm, the disease was confirmed by collecting duplicate samples of two recently dead birds.

Supporters gather

The farm attracted many supporters from Canada and internationally, and in a federal court ruling on May 13 pointed out that the culprits could move forward, dozens of whom have been stationed on the property.

The judge did not weigh the scientific arguments in the case in that ruling, ruling that the CFIA has the federal government's mandate to handle cases such as Culls, and that the judiciary was not suitable.

Instead, the ruling says that the CFIA follows the right channels and policies to make decisions.

The CFIA believes its policy is based on scientific research and Canada's international obligation to try to prevent further mutations and spread of avian influenza, which could make it more dangerous to both humans and animals.

Several politicians, including British Columbia Prime Minister David Eby, expressed frustration that the CFIA does not have greater flexibility in individual cases.

Jordan Kealy, an independent MLA and farmer who visited the Global Ostrich, told CBC News that many people raising livestock are worried about the stampede policy, believing that given that avian influenza has spread so widely to wild birds, it is almost impossible to prevent possible infections while still allowing animals to interact with the outside world.

However, the CFIA said it recognizes the economic and emotional impact of phase-out, which is why it compensates for any animal it kills — in the case of ostrich, up to $3,000 per animal.

Tough decision: Professor

Fiona Brinkman, a professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University, ruled in court that CFIA is in a difficult state in the face of highly infectious diseases that affect not only birds but mammals, including humans.

“It's a very difficult one,” she said in an interview with CBC. South Host Chris Walker. “This is ultimately a tragedy of a pathogen that now poses a threat to multiple industries and many animals.”

The biggest fear, she said, is that a new avian flu could be mutations, which is even more dangerous for animals and humans.

But, she said, she had hoped that the CFIA will now conduct new tests on the ostrich, because a lot of time has passed since the initial elimination order.

“I hope they will do more research,” she said.

For most bird populations, once a bird flu is found to have a death rate of more than 90%, but that is not the case with ostrich, and most people are still alive. However, this also means that the virus may “sustain” in birds for longer and may spread to wild sheep.

“There is a real problem for birds to be sheltered,” she said. “For example, poultry can put them in a barn. This is not suitable for ostrich.”