Bird flu hits SA farm:

CAPE Town. - The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on a commercial poultry farm in the province.

The department’s veterinary services programme confirmed the disease has spread to a farm in the Paardeberg region. It said the cause is most likely contact with wild birds.

Since then, meetings have taken place between poultry veterinarians and stakeholders such as the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Over 10 000 chickens have already died and culling of the rest of the farm and composting of mortalities has already been started.

The farm has been placed under quarantine.

The virus has not yet been confirmed as H5N8, which is the strain in outbreaks in other parts of the country. However, the H5 typing, and the nature of its effect on chickens, is indicative of it being the H5N8 strain. This strain of the disease has already wreaked havoc in the poultry industry in Zimbabwe, where thousands of commercial birds have died or had to be culled.

Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said on Monday the virus presents a challenge to control due to the wild birds, but the vets are working hard to contain the spread.

“This is a priority for the poultry industry, and the entire agriculture sector. The outbreak and the current drought have made agriculture a tough space to be in. This is a particularly difficult time for those affected farms, which are important employers. This is why we ask all stakeholders to continue working with us to mitigate the impact of this outbreak on our economy,” said Winde.

In Heidelberg, three ostrich farms have tested positive. No birds have died on the farms. The affected farms remain under quarantine.

Poultry products The department emphasised that poultry products available in supermarkets and stores do not pose a risk to human health as a result of this strain of avian influenza.

Control measures implemented include close monitoring of farms within a 3km zone of an infected farm, subject to control measures as laid out by the National Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

“It is strongly recommended that any movement of pet birds, racing pigeons, breeding birds and show birds be limited as far as possible and covered by a movement permit if coming from within 30km of an infected farm,” the department said in a statement.

Sick or dead birds - both wild birds and poultry - must be reported to local state vets.

Exports of poultry and poultry products have been suspended except from poultry compartments registered with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, or where a country’s import permit contains clauses which can be signed by a certifying veterinarian.

Avian influenza is primarily spread by direct contact between healthy and infected birds, or through indirect contact with contaminated equipment or other materials.

The virus is present in the faeces of infected birds and in discharges from their noses, mouth and eyes. The virus can spread into domestic flocks kept outdoors through faecal contamination from wild birds, whereas infection among indoor flocks is spread via airborne discharges and faeces.

Meanwhile, JSE listed Astral Foods has reported a second outbreak of avian flu at one of its farms outside Standerton in Mpumalanga, and has been engaging with government to regulate vaccination programmes to stop the spread.

According to a statement issued by the poultry producer, this second outbreak at Welbedacht farm is not related to the one reported in June at its breeding farm in Villiers. The outbreak on Villiers farm has been contained and the farm remains quarantined, Astral confirmed.

The Welbedacht farm has 48 poultry sheds, and the flu has only affected one poultry shed on the farm.

Astral is engaging with the government to regulate vaccination against the virus, said Gary Arnold, Astral managing director of agriculture.

Globally commercial vaccines have been developed for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). They have been successful in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Mexico, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam, said Arnold.

“The protection of high value breeding stock in South Africa is imperative in order to curb against large-scale financial losses in the local poultry industry, to ensure food security and to curb job losses as a result of production capacity losses in this industry. We trust that government and the relevant authorities will act swiftly and diligently with their approval to use vaccinations against HPAI in poultry breeding stock,” said Astral chief executive Chris Schutte.

“When the country was faced with the invasive fall armyworm threat in the maize industry, the matter was dealt with urgently by government and received personal attention from the minister of agriculture.”

Schutte said the avian flu is a matter of national interest as it impacts jobs. - Fin24.