‘Treat any increase in bird deaths as avian flu’
THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DARLRD) has urged everyone to treat any increase in the deaths of poultry and other bird species as potential avian influenza until proved otherwise.
The department’s spokesperson, Reggie Ngcobo, on Friday urged people who kept poultry and other bird species to refine their biosecurity and biosafety measures to the highest standard possible following an outbreak of an H5 avian influenza at a commercial chicken farm in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
“All increases in mortality rates must be reported to the responsible state veterinarian of the area immediately. Furthermore, everyone keeping poultry and other bird species should ensure that their biosecurity and biosafety measures are refined and of the highest standard possible,” said Ngcobo.
The avian influenza strain was subsequently confirmed to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.
“Its further genetic evaluation confirmed that it was a Clade 2.3. 4.4 virus that groups closely with the currently circulating virus strains in wild birds in Europe. No human infection due to these circulating strains had been reported in Europe and thus the zoonotic risk to people is very low; the consumer has no reason to be concerned.
“The entire farm was culled (approximately 270 000 birds), and approval was obtained for burial at a nearby dumping site under controlled conditions and under state veterinary supervision,” said Ngcobo.
Last week, two more commercial chicken properties tested positive for H5 on PCR in the City of Tshwane and a parent breeder farm in JB Marks Local Municipality in North West. Both these farms were quarantined with control measures being implemented.
All poultry farmers, as well as those with birds kept for a hobby or zoo purposes, are encouraged to keep birds away from areas that were visited by wild birds, maintain control over the access of poultry houses by people and equipment, and not to provide water and food in a way that may attract wild birds but to feed their own birds under cover or inside a confined structure.
DARLRD also encouraged maintaining proper disinfection of the property, poultry houses and equipment, avoiding the introduction of birds of unknown disease status into flocks, reporting illness and deaths of birds to the responsible state or private veterinarian and the appropriate disposal of manure and dead birds. One of the three affected facilities was a registered compartment for export.
In agreement with international trade recommendations, Namibia and Botswana had only banned poultry and poultry raw products from this affected compartment. Lesotho had banned the importation of poultry and poultry products from Gauteng.
According to the South African Poultry Master Plan, the country hoped to export cooked and raw products to Southern African Development Community and other African Continental Free Trade Area countries, the EU and the Middle East.