Some 60‚000 birds culled as avian flu lands in KZN

About 60‚000 birds have been culled at a poultry farm in Vryheid after an outbreak of avian influenza in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Dr Ziyanda Majokweni‚ director of Poultry Disease Management Agency at the South African Poultry Association‚ said the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus was detected on a commercial layer poultry farm on August 17.

“Approximately 60‚000 birds have been culled on the farm‚” she said on Wednesday.

She said control measures as required by the state were being implemented on the farm‚ in the Abaqulusi municipality‚ which has been placed under quarantine.

Mjokweni said she was not aware of any other avian flu outbreaks in the province apart from the Vryheid farm.

Avian flu is a viral respiratory disease among birds.

At least 30‚000 chickens have been culled in the Western Cape after the provincial Department of Agriculture also confirmed the presence of HPAI on a commercial layer poultry farm. That farm also has been placed under quarantine.

Three ostrich farms also reportedly tested positive for avian flu in Heidelberg. The two farms each have about 1‚000 ostriches.

The Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries said on August 25 that South Africa had reported eight further cases of the virus to the World Organisation for Animal Health. In its presentation to parliament’s portfolio committee on agriculture‚ forestry and fisheries on August 1‚ the department said HPAI had also been detected in Mpumalanga where high mortalities in a breeder flock were reported. The first outbreak near Villiers was more related to an Egyptian outbreak strain while the second outbreak reported in the country was related to the Zimbabwean strain.

The department said all suspected cases were followed up immediately‚ which included placing farms under quarantine‚ destroying the eggs and depopulating the affected sites.