Another case of avian influenza confirmed in Gauteng

South Africa’s national department of agriculture, land reform and rural development however stressed that poultry consumers had no reason to worry as the risk of transmission of the avian flu to humans was very low.

PRETORIA, May 6 (ANA) – South Africa’s national department of agriculture, land reform and rural development has announced another outbreak of avian influenza at a commercial chicken farm in Randfontein in Gauteng province.

Preceding this outbreak, four were detected on other commercial chicken properties. In total, four outbreaks in Gauteng and one in North West province have now been confirmed, spokesperson for the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development Reggie Ngcobo said in a statement.

All affected farms had been quarantined, with control measures being implemented, he added.

“Genetic evaluation has confirmed that the outbreak reported in commercial layers on 13 of April in Gauteng, and the one on commercial broiler-breeders in the North West seem to have been caused by non-identical AI (avian influenza) strains,” said Ngcobo.

“These two outbreaks were therefore more likely to have been caused by separate introductions.”

He said it was essential for everyone across South Africa to remain on high alert and “treat any increase in mortalities of poultry and other bird species as potential avian influenza, until proven otherwise”.

But Ngcobo said poultry consumers had no reason to worry as the risk of transmission of the avian flu to humans was very low.

“It must be mentioned that no human infection, due to these circulating strains, had been reported in Europe and thus the zoonotic risk to people is very low, the consumer has no reason to be concerned,” said Ngcobo.

The agriculture department said all neighbouring countries had lifted bans on imports of live chicken and unprocessed products from South Africa with the exception of Lesotho which has banned imports from Gauteng province.

“Hong Kong has notified the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development of a temporary suspension of the importation of all poultry – carcass, parts and offal products, including eggs from the affected municipalities within the Gauteng and North West,” Ngcobo added.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa