‘Valid’ questions for CFIA but few simple answers in wake of B.C. ostrich cull

Infectious disease veterinarian Scott Weese says the hundreds of ostriches shot dead on a rainy night at a British Columbia farm this month “probably weren’t infected” with avian influenza at the time of the cull by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The problem, says Weese, is that “we don’t really know,” and logistical challenges and conditions at the farm would have hindered rigorous testing of all of the birds.

Read more: • Five things to know about ostrich cull case, after court delivers blow to farmers • Gunshots herald ostrich cull after police limit access to British Columbia farm • ‘Deep burial’ for ostriches at B.C. landfill as CFIA completes cull and disposal work

The H5N1 avian flu virus — detected in the flock of more than 300 ostriches months earlier, prompting a b