TruthArchive.ai - Related Video Feed

The speaker discusses the spread of bird flu and the potential for mass culling of poultry. They mention the development of bird flu vaccines and the possibility of human-to-human transmission. The conversation also touches on the lack of human trials for vaccines and the FDA's approval process based on preclinical data. The focus is on the need for vaccination, particularly for farm workers.

In 2024, the H5N1 bird flu virus jumped from wild birds to cows, shocking virus experts. The virus has since spread rapidly through US dairy herds and poultry flocks, infecting other mammals, including 70 Americans, one of whom died. Some experts claim the Biden administration was slow to respond, while the Trump administration laid off over 100 scientists. The virus spreads easily via milking equipment, and workers have also become infected. Experts fear the virus's pandemic potential, especially given its high mortality rate in past outbreaks. Testing was slow to start, and some states still test infrequently. A new strain in cattle has led to more severe disease in some people. The virus has spread to foxes, goats, pigs, rats, cats, and raccoons. Antibody tests on dairy workers revealed a 7% infection rate, suggesting many cases go undetected. Experts are concerned that the virus could evolve into a pandemic strain. A bird flu vaccine exists but isn't FDA-licensed, and the Trump administration paused funding for Moderna's vaccine. The USDA's milk testing program has helped slow the spread, but distrust of science and vaccines hinders prevention efforts. Some scientists claim the CDC influenza division has been decimated and that a communications ban has been put on federal workers.

The call aims to unite four public health agencies to discuss the current situation regarding HPAI, particularly H5N1, and to share lessons learned about surveillance and epidemiology. CFIA presented their enhanced poultry surveillance plans, including efforts related to cattle and milk. The UK Health Security Agency shared insights from their asymptomatic human surveillance pilot. Don Sheppard emphasized the need for developing an assay for H5N1 to prepare for potential positive test results. He highlighted the challenges in determining the appropriate populations and techniques for serosurveillance, including the lack of serum samples from humans or cattle with H5N1. Ongoing discussions and work are focused on protocol development to ensure readiness for any developments in the situation.

Jessica Hopkins from Public Health Ontario asked about plans for active surveillance in humans if there is a positive test for milk. The response mentioned developing enhanced surveillance protocols for farms, including baseline testing on pigs and birds. However, challenges were noted in implementing this plan due to sensitivities around farm access and testing migrant workers.

There's been people asking about the eggs. So the family has no idea. So these birds probably are laying eggs. What are what is the CFIA doing with the eggs? And unfortunately, the family does not know. They got no way to track this stuff. These guys come in here and and just take over the place. Don't let anybody know what they're doing. They put up all these walls of secrecy to ensure that nobody can see what's going on, and then they wonder why everybody's freaking out. It'd be easy enough for the CFIA to make a statement. It'd be easy enough for the police to make a statement. It'd be easy enough for anybody that knows anything about this to make a statement, but they wanna keep all the public in the in the dark.

Technology is being rapidly advanced and implemented in humans, particularly messenger RNA vaccines. These advancements are being fast-tracked, and it's important to acknowledge that our food species will also be affected by these vaccines.

Eve inquired about the testing of pasteurized versus unpasteurized milk, highlighting a gap in data regarding unpasteurized samples. Jessica asked if there’s a plan for active human surveillance if milk tests positive. The response indicated that protocols for enhanced surveillance are being developed, focusing on farms and potentially involving pigs and avian species. There are sensitivities around farm access and communication with farmers, especially concerning undocumented workers. The BC team discussed ongoing challenges with communication and information sharing from CFIA, which complicates connections with farm families. They emphasized the need for better coordination among agencies and established protocols for notifications regarding poultry detections.

Concerns about agricultural health issues are not widely recognized among the general population in Canada, particularly in Quebec. While agricultural stakeholders are aware, public interest remains low. However, a potential discovery of positive milk samples could rapidly change this perception, similar to trends seen in the U.S. Coordination between agricultural and health authorities is essential, and establishing a formal national table for communication is suggested. There is a need for a proactive communication strategy, especially in regions like British Columbia, where past outbreaks have heightened awareness. Discussions should also address unpasteurized products and the implications for animal health, including potential risks to pets. Overall, the focus should be on preparedness and collaboration across agencies.

A person knows a kid who works at a feedlot in Nebraska. The feedlot was bought out by a company, leading to an increase in vaccine use. The company plans to implement mRNA vaccines for cattle, which was trialed on pigs. The pigs experienced negative effects, with some dying and traces of the vaccine found in their meat. This raises concerns about the potential impact on humans.

In 2024, the H5N1 bird flu virus jumped from wild birds to cows, shocking virus experts. The virus has since spread rapidly through US dairy herds and poultry, infecting other mammals, including 70 Americans, one of whom died. Some experts claim the Biden administration was slow to respond, while the Trump administration laid off scientists. The virus spreads easily and lingers on milking equipment, infecting workers. Experts fear the virus's pandemic potential, citing its high mortality rate in past outbreaks. Testing was slow to start, and some states still test infrequently. A new strain in cattle has led to more severe disease in some people. The virus has spread to foxes, goats, pigs, rats, cats, and raccoons. Some studies suggest many human cases go undetected. Experts worry that the virus could evolve into a pandemic strain. A bird flu vaccine exists but is not FDA-licensed, and the Trump administration paused funding for Moderna's vaccine. The USDA's milk testing program has helped slow the spread, but distrust of science and vaccines hinders prevention efforts.

The call brought together public health agencies to discuss HPAI H5N1 surveillance and research. CFIA presented enhanced poultry surveillance plans, while the UK Health Security Agency shared their asymptomatic human surveillance pilot. Don Sheppard from PHAC emphasized the need for developing an assay for H5N1 testing. Discussions revolved around the extent of surveillance, target populations, and assay validation challenges due to limited serum samples. Protocol development is underway to prepare for potential positive test results.

Speaker 0 asks if the speaker knew about stopping humanization before it entered the market and if they are willing to share the data with the committee. Speaker 1 responds that they did not know about it before it entered the market and had to move at the speed of science to understand what was happening.

Speaker 0 discusses the presence of mycoplasma in commercial vaccines. He frames this as a common issue and uses a personal anecdote to illustrate resistance to testing. He describes traveling back to Washington and sitting next to a vaccine manufacturer who was upset about being bumped from first class. The conversation turns to concerns about mycoplasma, and Speaker 0 asks the manufacturer why vaccines aren’t tested for this organism. The manufacturer, en route to the FDA and other officials, becomes increasingly nervous as Speaker 0 shares what they had found. Speaker 0 directly asks, “why don’t you test these vaccines for mycoplasma?” The manufacturer’s immediate reaction is defensive, asking, “what are you trying to do, drive us out of business?” Speaker 0 clarifies that the question stems from concerns about safety, prompting the manufacturer to hedge and offer excuses. In the exchange, the manufacturer’s stance is that testing for such infections is expensive. Speaker 0 interprets this as an indication that the companies may be afraid of what they might discover if testing were conducted. This anecdote is used to illustrate a broader problem: the difficulty in convincing authorities and the public to take the issue more seriously and to pursue more thorough investigations into vaccine safety. The overall point conveyed by Speaker 0 is that mycoplasma contamination in vaccines is a known concern, but testing is often resisted due to cost and fear of uncovering problematic findings. The anecdote highlights perceived reluctance within the industry to pursue rigorous testing, which Speaker 0 argues contributes to the broader challenge of getting authorities to address and investigate the issue more seriously.

About half of the workers on the farm are not US-born, and the operation runs 24 hours a day to be profitable. Year-round labor is essential for milk production. Despite supporting Governor Kristine Noem and former President Trump, there's concern about the impact of potential mass roundups of undocumented workers. If such actions were taken, food production could halt within two days, leading to empty shelves. The farmer believes that officials understand the consequences of these policies and expresses trust that they won't follow through with drastic measures.

I am Don Shepherd, VP of Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs. We are discussing testing for H5N1. There are questions about which populations to test, what methods to use, and whether to use molecular or serosurveillance techniques. There are challenges in validating assays due to limited serum samples. In the US, testing on dairy and beef cattle has been negative. Plans include testing asymptomatic cows and commercial milk samples. Wastewater testing is considered, but distinguishing between avian and bovine strains is difficult. We need to be prepared for positive results before deciding on implementation.

Someone states they are passionate after 34 years of caring for animals that live to 75 and have names. They ask that "Connor," "Ethan," and "Lulu" not be shot. They acknowledge there's a policy in place, but argue it's time for a change, suggesting a report indicating every bird looks healthy. Another person responds that going against the entire industry is not their decision, and that changing to a non-eradication approach requires a national conversation with the CFIA and the Canadian government. When asked how long it would take for an ostrich to die from sickness, the response is hours to days, depending on the disease. Someone counters that there have been no avian flu deaths on the farm in eight days. Another person states that the challenge is control versus eradication, because one diagnosis puts the entire population at risk, mandating destruction.

We should be testing every cow weekly using pool PCR to detect asymptomatic infections. America's innovation allows for breakthroughs like pool testing dairy workers. Undetected cases in humans exist because we only track symptomatic individuals, leading to the spread of the virus. Switching to definitive laboratory testing is crucial to identify asymptomatic or mild cases that go unnoticed.

Vet was not allowed to take blood, and let's go into the reason why. So the vet said that they said it doesn't matter if all of these animals remember this. If every one of these animals test negative, they're still to die. And the reason being is because of that international trade policy between the World Animal Health Organization and the World Health Organization, which takes the directives of the United Nations. Good morning, Tina. And then the the minute anybody that any animal has a positive test on a property for HPAI, avian influenza, all animals are to be destroyed to protect our

The call brought together public health agencies to discuss the HPAI H5N1 trajectory, focusing on enhanced surveillance and scientific efforts. CFIA presented enhanced poultry surveillance plans, while the UK Health Security Agency discussed their asymptomatic human surveillance pilot. PHAC emphasized the need to develop an assay for H5N1 testing. Technical questions remain about assay validation and population testing techniques. Work is ongoing to address these challenges and ensure preparedness for potential positive cases.

In Quebec, the concern about H5N1 avian influenza is not high among the general population, but authorities are vigilant. There is a call for coordination between agricultural and health agencies at the national level in Canada. Funding is being allocated to address knowledge gaps, and there is a focus on pandemic preparedness. It is suggested to expand surveillance efforts to include goat and sheep milk testing. Communication strategies and preparedness for potential positive cases in Canada are emphasized. In British Columbia, there is interest due to past avian influenza outbreaks in poultry. Vigilance is urged, especially regarding raw milk products and potential risks to pets.

We need to consider messaging about farm cats as pets. On a positive note, mink farms in BC were shut down, while Ontario still has them. A lawsuit against us was recently dismissed.

We're at Huginstone Farm in Southern Ontario, where we milk around 260 cows. Currently, we're producing more milk than we should. We want to show the public the challenges our growers face every day. Growing up on a dairy farm, we learned the value of hard work, and now we're experiencing the consequences.

Florida has many illegal immigrants working in agriculture, construction, and hospitality. As we consider significant roundups of these individuals, is there a plan to support these industries and prevent financial hardship? In response, similar concerns were raised during the implementation of the E-Verify system in 2023. Now, any industry hiring new employees must verify their immigration status. This process is crucial to ensure compliance with the law and address workforce needs.

Speaker 0 asks if the speaker knew about stopping humanization before it entered the market and if they are willing to share the data with the committee. Speaker 1 responds that they did not know about it before it entered the market and had to move at the speed of science to understand what was happening.