AGRICULTURAL NEWS - The highly contagious and pathogenic H5N8 strain of avian influenza (AI) has now been identified on a third poultry farm in Mpumalanga, as well as a farm in Gauteng.
This brings to four the total number of poultry farms in South Africa where AI has been confirmed since late June 2017.
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) spokesperson, Bomikazi Molapo, said that the two latest AI cases were identified late last week, and that her department had notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of these developments.
“It appears that migratory birds from Europe have been carrying the AI and that these birds have somehow been able to transmit the disease to the poultry on the four farms,” Molapo explained.
She said that while most neighbouring countries had implemented bans on importing any SA poultry products since the H5N8 AI was discovered in June, other SA poultry importing countries, including in the European Union, were currently only prohibiting poultry product imports from the geographic compartments in which the AI had so far been identified.
However, these latter countries were requesting constant updates on the AI situation in SA.
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) spokesperson, Bomikazi Molapo, said that the two latest AI cases were identified late last week, and that her department had notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of these developments.
“It appears that migratory birds from Europe have been carrying the AI and that these birds have somehow been able to transmit the disease to the poultry on the four farms,” Molapo explained.
She said that while most neighbouring countries had implemented bans on importing any SA poultry products since the H5N8 AI was discovered in June, other SA poultry importing countries, including in the European Union, were currently only prohibiting poultry product imports from the geographic compartments in which the AI had so far been identified.
However, these latter countries were requesting constant updates on the AI situation in SA.
