Avian influenza confirmed in Mpumalanga
Cases of avian influenza on a farm in Mpumalanga have been confirmed‚ the Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said on Thursday evening.
This follows an outbreak of bird flu – as it is more commonly known - in Zimbabwe earlier this month.
“The South African Veterinary Authority was today notified of high mortalities on a breeder flock in Villiers close to the Mpumalanga Provincial border‚” DAFF said in a statement.
It said samples collected on the poultry farm had yielded a positive result for a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza‚ H5N8.
“The Department has agreed with the company to euthanise the birds in affected houses in collaboration with the NSPCA‚” it added.
It said the affected property had 12 self-contained sites with a total of approximately 285‚000 birds‚ and so far only one self-contained site‚ with approximately 24‚000 birds had been affected. As part of the emergency response‚ the farm had been placed under quarantine and Veterinary services would continue to monitor the farm.
“The Mpumalanga Veterinary Authorities are on the farm‚ assisting with quarantine implementation‚ culling and disinfection of the farm. The affected farm is on the banks of the Vaal River and it is suspected that wild birds may be involved. The influenza is carried by live birds which make it difficult to control and contain to a particular area. We have intensified our early detection and requested owners to enhance their biosecurity in order to prevent contact with wild birds.”
According to the department‚ vaccination against Avian Influenza is prohibited by law.
“There are several reasons for not allowing vaccination of chickens‚ and the most pertinent are that vaccinated birds mask the disease and therefore create an endemic situation; surveillance for absence of disease is also impossible in vaccinated birds as they all test positive.”
The department has sent out notices to all poultry owners‚ outlining the biosecurity measures they have to take‚ and detailing how the surveillance will be conducted.
- TimesLIVE