Victims, Not Vectors — CFIA's Ostrich Cull Misses the Real Source of H5N1 Risk

The CFIA ordered a full ostrich cull after H5N1 was detected, even though wild migratory birds likely contaminated the farm's pond — making the ostriches victims, not disease spreaders New studies from California dairy farms show H5N1 in air and wastewater, suggesting industrial livestock operations are aerosolizing and recycling the virus back into the environment through waste systems Despite evidence of natural immunity, CFIA's policy mandates culling all birds on an exposed site, ignoring science and logic by killing healthy survivors that pose less risk Factory farms generate billions of pounds of untreated manure annually, with open-air lagoons and runoff creating ideal conditions for virus transmission — yet regulatory focus remains on small farms A smarter policy would target the real sources — contaminated air, lagoons, and waste — not small farms. Testing, environmental controls, and accountability must come before destroying healthy animals