Almost a year after an avian flu outbreak was detected on an ostrich farm in rural British Columbia, the fate of the flock remains in the crosshairs of a culture war over public health policy.

Plans to euthanize the remaining birds by Canadian authorities are on pause as the Supreme Court of Canada considers the case. The cull order catalyzed fierce protest by the farm owners and their hundreds of supporters, backed by top White House health officials, decrying what they see as government overreach.

Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Dr. Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, to discuss why the case became a flashpoint, and whether the government’s ability to enforce public health policy is at risk.

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