A sign calling for the protection of ostriches at the Universal Ostrich Farms is displayed at the farm in Edgewood, B.C., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Hemens

The type of avian flu infection present at a B.C. ostrich farm where a cull is planned is a mutation not seen elsewhere in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday.

It said the version includes a genotype that has been associated with a human infection in a poultry worker in Ohio.

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.

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.

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.

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.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025