Oz, Ostriches, and Outbreaks

If you happened to see headlines recently about Dr. Oz, Canadian ostriches, and bird flu, you may have been as confused as I was. And, of course, tempted to click. This is, in fact, a real story and one that reveals how misinformation and political grandstanding are complicating infectious disease control in the Trump Administration.

Avian Influenza in Ostriches

Let’s start with the facts. A bird flu outbreak occurred on an ostrich farm in Canada. Some of the ostriches survived. Dr. Mehmet Oz, now head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Trump administration, publicly called for those birds to be “rescued” and relocated to his ranch in Florida. One reason he wanted to save them is because he believes their survival might be useful for researchers to understand how to treat H5N1 infections.

Ostriches, like other birds, are susceptible to avian influenza. In fact, we’ve seen H5N1 outbreaks in ostrich farms before, particularly in South Africa, where ostrich farming is a major industry. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, including neurological problems and death. The standard control strategy that is globally accepted by veterinary health authorities is to depopulate the farm. That means killing the remaining birds to prevent further spread.

Why Depopulation Is Scientific Best Practice

Why is this necessary? Because even birds that survive might still harbor the virus. They could be shedding it at low levels. They could appear healthy but remain infectious. And because ostriches are often raised in outdoor environments, they interact with wild birds, creating opportunities for the virus to spread back and forth.

There’s no reliable way to determine on a farm whether an individual ostrich has truly cleared H5N1 infection. That’s something you can only assess in a controlled laboratory environment where birds are tested completely before they enter the laboratory, exposed to a standardized dose of H5N1 influenza in a standardized way, then monitored continuously for an extended period without any new exposure.

Public Health Risks of Animal Movement

Moving those birds from Canada to Florida risks the health of animals in the U.S. and potentially humans as well. Imagine if just one bird were still infectious. The result could be an outbreak on U.S. soil affecting other ostriches on Dr. Oz’s farm, and, because migratory birds can then get infected from these ostriches and spread the infection by air elsewhere, it also puts poultry farms, dairy farms, and other animals at risk.

The Natural Immunity Fallacy

This incident is part of a broader pattern. During COVID-19, many so-called contrarian voices argued that “natural immunity” was enough—that surviving infection meant you were safe and no longer a threat to others. Now, many of those same people have roles in the federal government. Their simplistic views of immunity ignore the complexity of viruses, immune responses, and transmission dynamics. They believe that because some ostriches survived H5N1 infection that their blood holds the key to understanding H5N1 immunity.

Surviving infection doesn’t necessarily mean protection. Viruses mutate. Immunity wanes. And different hosts react in different ways. That’s why we rely on careful science, not gut instinct or political messaging, to guide public health decisions.

Emotional Appeals vs. Science

This case also mirrors past emotional appeals involving animals and disease control. During the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, a Spanish nurse’s dog was euthanized after she became infected. In the U.S., a nurse’s dog was quarantined and monitored. In both cases, public emotion clashed with public health logic.

Ostriches are large, charismatic animals. That emotional appeal can cloud judgment. But when lives—human and animal—are at stake, emotion can’t override evidence.

Where Are the Influenza Experts?

What’s missing in this debate is the role of experts. We haven’t heard the USDA weigh in, despite its role as the leading authority on animal health in the U.S. Canadian officials made the decision to depopulate the farm, following standard protocols.

And it’s worth noting: Dr. Oz hasn’t offered to “rescue” chickens from infected farms in the U.S. Ostriches, for some reason, have captured his fancy and clouded judgement about public health.

Final Thoughts on H5N1 Influenza Risks

Avian influenza is a serious and evolving global threat. We don’t yet know how this virus might mutate. But we do know that the risks are too great to play fast and loose with this virus. See my discussions about Germ Denial to understand this challenge: Germ Denial: Resources and Checklists