Bird flu crisis: how it affects you
As culling goes on we take a look at the crisis facing the poultry industry
IT STARTED in Mpumalanga, then moved to Gauteng and now it’s spreading like wildfire through other parts of the country. It’s known as H5N8 – and it means almost certain death for a wide variety of bird species. With more than four million birds having died or been culled and losses running into hundreds of millions of rands, experts are warning it could spell disaster for the poultry industry in some provinces.
But what does this mean for consumers? How is this bird flu outbreak different from previous ones? And is it safe to eat eggs, chicken and poultry products? YOU spoke to industry experts to get answers to these and other questions.
WHAT IS IT?
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is caused by a virus. The strain reported in Africa this year is the highly infectious H5N8, which is lethal to a wide variety of bird species, explains Professor Celia Abolnik, one of the world’s leading bird flu researchers.
HOW IT SPREADS
Birds become infected when they ingest the virus in a contaminated environment, says Abolnik, associate professor and research chair in poultry health and production at the University of Pretoria’s department of production animal studies. A single bird dropping can contain millions of viruses. It’s also found in the oral and nasal discharges of birds.
The new strain started among poultry in East Asia and was spread to many European countries by migratory birds before reaching America, she says.
“To reach South Africa the infection seems to have gradually spread via wild birds from Europe or Asia southward through the African Rift Valley.” “This particular H5N8 strain can kill birds quickly; the incubation phase is about three days and thereafter the birds can die suddenly, sometimes without showing signs of disease,” Abolnik says.
Apart from chickens, the current H5N8 strain has also killed ducks, pigeons and many wild bird species.
LIKE NOTHING WE’VE SEEN BEFORE
Many consumers will recall the outbreak six years ago that led to a ban on SA ostrich exports, but this is different.
“The situation is extremely serious,” Abolnik says. “The H5N8 strain we presently have is completely different to strains that have affected ostriches and chickens in SA in the past. It has a unique genetic fingerprint and possesses different biological properties that make it more infectious and lethal.”
WHICH REGIONS ARE AFFECTED?
“Outbreaks in the northern regions have slowed but poultry farms in the southern Cape are being heavily affected,” Abolnik says. “The whole country remains at risk, particularly the major high-density poultry farming areas in Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The virus is still present in wild birds in numerous provinces.”
This year H5N8 was reported in all provinces except Limpopo and the Northern Cape, an industry expert confirmed to YOU.
IS IT A HEALTH RISK TO HUMANS?
No. H5N8 has been around in Europe for about two years, for instance, yet global health authorities haven’t found any health risks for people. “No human infections with this particular strain of H5N8 have been reported in any of the countries affected by this virus,” Abolnik says.
But should consumers perhaps be nervous of eating chicken or eggs? “Not at all. Chicken meat and eggs from infected farms are destroyed and don’t
make it onto shelves,” she says.
The national department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries has also stressed that the bird flu virus we’re dealing with currently doesn’t affect people. A spokesperson said, “[This] has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health.”
The controls of government inspectors and veterinary professionals at abattoirs, plus retailers’ own testing and quality controls, rule out the possibility of contaminated chicken meat reaching stores, an industry expert explains.
Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure a few of South Africa’s trading partners have suspended poultry imports.
There’ve been cases where poultry infected with a different virus – the H5N1 strain – infected humans. H5N1 can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected live birds or their droppings, according to the SA Poultry Association (Sapa). But this has happened only in cases where people live in close contact with poultry, and even then they don’t easily contract the virus.
The virus is in any case destroyed when you cook chicken meat, for example. In fact scientists say cooking meat for just four minutes at 57ºC completely deactivates the H5N1 virus.
SO WHY IS THIS VIRUS CAUSING SO MUCH PANIC?
Even though it doesn’t pose any threat to humans it’s ruffling feathers in the poultry industry because it’s led to millions of birds being culled to prevent it spreading. “Left unchecked it would spread throughout the country within weeks and it certainly has the potential to destroy the industry,” Abolnik says.
Since June the main challenge has been to stop the virus spreading, with preventive actions including farmers securing their production sheds to keep wild birds out, trucks being disinfected as they arrive and leave farms as well as shoes and clothing being disinfected.
But most upsetting has been the extermination by gassing millions of birds – the majority of them healthy – on affected farms. An industry expert tells YOU that often diseased birds hardly made up 10% of those culled. The rest were killed as a preventive measure.
The department of agriculture has been criticised for dragging its feet in compensating farmers who had to cull their poultry. Abolnik warns that if this issue isn’t resolved producers might become reluctant to implement guidelines for controlling the disease.
Meanwhile debate continues to rage about the advisability of vaccination. Although it could prevent the disease from spreading many are reluctant to go this route as most of SA’s trading partners prefer importing from countries that don’t vaccinate. Bird flu is seen to be endemic in countries that do vaccinate.
“This comes at a bad time for the poultry industry,” says Wessel Lemmer, an agricultural economist with Absa AgriBusiness. With the end of the drought in mealie-producing areas resulting in lower feed prices, poultry farmers – already under pressure from cheaper frozen chicken imports – saw an opportunity to recover and expand. “But now bird flu has brought uncertainty again.”
SHORTAGES, PRICE INCREASES?
Because longer-living birds are especially susceptible to the current strain of the virus, more so than broilers – which are produced for meat and live only a matter of weeks – concern has been expressed about potential egg shortages and price increases. To date SA hasn’t really imported eggs, which is much more difficult for various reasons than the frozen chicken imports already happening on a large scale.
Pick n Pay spokesperson Tamra Veley says for now the company doesn’t expect any problems. The Shoprite Group echoes this sentiment, adding, “Suppliers have also indicated the warmer weather could help to keep avian flu in check.” Like people, birds are more susceptible to flu in colder weather.
Julian Novak, head of fresh food at Woolworths, told Fin24 vets have advised the group’s farmers to keep hens and poultry indoors temporarily.
But egg suppliers in the Western Cape, especially, appear deeply concerned. One of the province’s biggest producers says its company currently supplies less than a third of its usual volume, and might have to get supplies from other provinces and start cutting jobs.
Lemmer says a study by the Western Cape department of agriculture showed egg prices could increase by about R3 a dozen because of the impact of the bird flu outbreak.
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