About 1 400 000 fowl were infected with the H5N1 virus in the Western Cape this year. Photo: Argief
Although five of the recent outbreaks of H5N1 influenza in the Western Cape have already been contained, producers are increasingly cautioned to remain vigilant against any new outbreaks.
While shortages of eggs and fowl meat occur in several parts of South Africa, the Western Cape department of agricultural production should take proactive action to prevent the spread of the highly contagious bird flu in that province. According to Dr. Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, wild birds can always spread the H5N1 flu in that province.
“While no new cases have been reported in the Western Cape since June 2023, we must always be on our guard. Biosecurity is the cornerstone of disease prevention. Farmers and poultry producers must be vigilant in their biosecurity measures to prevent the virus from being transmitted wildly or misheard.”
The spread of the H7N6 strain is boring now as it devastates lêhenne and hot fowl in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, the Free State and Limpopo, with an egg shortage and an increase in egg prices that is already being seen in those northern provinces.
Western Cape case
Altesaam, several outbreaks of the H5N1 strain have been reported in the Western Cape from April to June 2023.
According to Dr. Laura Roberts, state veterinarian for epidemiology at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, more than 1 500 000 fowl in that province have been exposed to the H5N1 virus, with almost 1 400 000 birds having to be beaten.
“No further outbreaks have been experienced in the commercial poultry farm in the Western Cape in the past three months. Five of those outbreaks reported from April to June have been brought under management.”
All fowl are removed from that pool during quarantine, and that pool is cleaned and disinfected twice under the state veterinarian’s inspection.
That quarantin on that lake was subsequently lifted and that outbreak was the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) reported as under management.
According to Roberts, three pools are partially full of feelings. Two weeks ago, the current stock of sensors could not survive as the repeated outbreak of the H7N6 sensor group in and around Gauteng caused some problems in the chain of supply of replacement sensors.
“The quarantin at that place has been lifted and the final report has been sent to that department. All those cages at that sewende place have been cleaned and disinfected and after the second round of cleaning and inspection, the state veterinarian will recommend the lifting of that quarantine and the final report to the WOAH.”
H7N6 strain
According to Roberts, the H7N6 strain poses a major threat to the poultry farm in the Western Cape. Therefore, poultry producers must strictly adhere to the prescribed biosecurity measures (see below).
Roberts explains that there is currently no evidence that temperature has any influence on outbreaks. When flu is spread by wild birds, it is likely that the spread is influenced by an aspect related to the weather, if rain falls, if wild birds then move to areas with available food and water.
However, H7N6 has not yet been reported by wild birds. So there is no evidence that he is involved in the spread of that strain.
Important business
According to the Western Cape economy, this poultry business is the largest business in the agricultural sector in South Africa and makes a significant contribution to South Africa’s agricultural economy.
The South African Poultry Association’s estimate is that the gross value of the broiler farm will increase to R59 billion in 2022 from R47 billion in 2019, while the gross value of the chicken farm will grow from R10.6 billion in 2019 to R12.6 billion in 2019. end of 2022.
According to Meyer, the poultry industry is an important creator and provider of direct and indirect employment in the South African economy.
“The poultry company will have an estimated 52,030 direct employment opportunities in 2022. According to national estimates for the braaihoender business, in 2020 16,289 people were employed in the propagation and cultivation sector, 31,005 people in the processing sector, with 6,831 people employed in the braaihoender propagation business.”
Passionate observation requires the farmer, private veterinarian or animal health officer to report any abnormality that they observe in a poultry yard. This includes clinical signs indicating flu, abnormal increases in miserliness and abnormal decreases in egg production.
Active observation excludes the biennial taking of indiscriminate samples in all poultry farms, which includes rural and commercial poultry.
According to Meyer, there are biosecurity systems that are seen as flu-free and are tested monthly for flu.
Measures
The aim of the following general recommendation is to prevent the disease from spreading between people, Robberts explains.
- Boere is being used to prevent the movement of birds between provinces until the outbreak is under control.
- Make sure you bring slegs of inspected poultry to your home.
- Your current feelings should be kept completely separate for two weeks and should only be mixed with your other feelings if they remain healthy.
- No one who was in contact with poultry in the past two days should be allowed on your property.
- Please do not visit poultry that is owned by other people, and vehicles containing mud that enter or leave your home must be cleaned and disinfected.
- Use foot bath to disinfect your skin when entering or leaving the poultry house.
- Keep poultry away from wild birds and use bedding fluid.
Although the risk is low that the flu can spread to humans, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture urges the public not to touch dead feelings.
“Poultry products in those stores are safe for human use. However, we urge people to be careful when handling or beating infected poultry. Gloves, a mask and eye protection must be worn.
“It is also important to report sick and dead feelings – wild and tame feelings – by local authorities (veterinary services, public health officers, community health officers, etc.).”
Information about local state veterinarians in the Western Cape is available here: https://rb.gy/37ir5.
To learn more about bird flu, you can visit the Western Cape Department of Agriculture web magazine: https://rb.gy/76ine.