13-Year-Old Bird Flu Survivor Visits Edgewood Ostrich Farm to Oppose Cull
- ExNews.net
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
Published: May 25, 2025
What Happened at Universal Ostrich Farm?
A 13-year-old girl believed to be Canada’s first human case of avian influenza made an emotional visit to Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C. on Saturday, May 24, 2025. The teen, identified only as Joselynn, arrived with her family to show support for the embattled farm, which is facing a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) order to cull nearly 400 ostriches.
Joselynn reportedly never visited the farm before contracting H5N1 last year. Her presence drew national attention and added urgency to growing calls to halt the cull. She expressed concern that her case was being used to justify killing the flock.
The farm's owners and supporters argue that the ostriches, many of whom survived a 2024 outbreak, have developed natural immunity and should be studied—not destroyed.
Federal Court Ruling Backs CFIA Ostrich Cull
Despite growing public outcry, a Federal Court ruling issued May 13, 2025, upheld the CFIA’s authority to proceed with the cull. The court denied two judicial reviews filed by Universal Ostrich Farms, finding the agency’s decisions reasonable and procedurally fair.
The CFIA originally ordered the destruction of the birds in December 2024 following positive H5N1 tests, then denied a request for exemption in January 2025. Protesters have since launched street demonstrations and an online campaign using the hashtag #SaveOurOstriches.
RFK Jr. Urges CFIA to Halt Culling for Scientific Research
On May 23, 2025, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent a two-page open letter to CFIA President Paul MacKinnon urging the agency to reconsider the cull. In the letter—shared widely on social media—RFK Jr. emphasized the scientific value of studying a population of birds that have survived H5N1 exposure.
His main points included:
The ostriches offer a rare, controlled environment for long-term immune system studies.
Their longevity (up to 50 years) makes them ideal for analyzing post-infection immunity and vaccine insights.
Research could provide new information on antibody responses and potential therapeutics.
Kennedy concluded that culling the birds six months after the outbreak likely offers no health benefit, and called it a missed opportunity for global research collaboration.
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