Steps to control bird flu

The government has introduced a raft of conditions on the trading of live chickens in an effort to contain the spread of avian influenza after an outbreak on two farms in Mpumalanga, where eggs were destroyed and about 260,000 chickens culled last week.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said yesterday that no bird flu cases had been reported so far in other provinces, saying a team of vets had swiftly responded to the threat and the farms were quarantined.

Zokwana said as a precaution buyers or sellers of more than five live chickens for any purpose other than slaughter at a registered abattoir would be subjected to the following conditions:

• Live chicken sellers, including commercial farmers and traders, must register with the poultry disease management agency;
• Only registered traders are allowed to trade. It is the responsibility of the seller and buyer to ensure that the counterpart is registered;
•  Farmers may only sell live chickens certified as healthy by a vet or animal health technician;
• Traders may only sell healthy chickens and must keep records; and
• Sellers and buyers registered with the agency have to sign an undertaking to adhere to the measures.

- TimesLIVE