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Published Date: 2013-06-19 19:49:36
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (70): South Africa (WC) ostrich, LPAI H7N7
Archive Number: 20130619.1782086

AVIAN INFLUENZA (70): SOUTH AFRICA (WESTERN CAPE), OSTRICH, LPAI H7N7
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Date: Tue 18 Jun 2013
Source: BusinessDayLive (S. Africa) [edited]
http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/agriculture/2013/06/18/bird-flu-outbreak-spreads-to-five-more-oudtshoorn-ostrich-farms


A bird-flu outbreak in April 2013 at a farm near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape has spread to 5 other farms in the area.

The low-pathogenic H7N7 virus is not considered dangerous at this stage, although the farms have been quarantined as a precaution.

Pieter Koen, deputy director for animal health in the Western Cape department of agriculture, said on Tuesday [18 Jun 2013] that the strain had recently been identified on these farms but there was no need for panic. "The virus has been spread by wild birds in the area, but the threat is not great," he said. "This does happen in the ostrich industry every winter." He said all 6 farms were now under quarantine to prevent the virus from spreading.

Johan Stumpf, MD of Oudtshoorn-based Klein Karoo International, the world's largest supplier of ostrich products, said because the strain was low-pathogenic, it did not pose any real threat.

South Africa's ostrich industry was devastated in 2011 by an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, which resulted in the European Union (EU) placing an export ban on the country's ostrich meat. The ban remains in place and has accounted for more than 50 percent of ostrich farmers leaving the ZAR 2 billion [USD 196 million]-a-year industry.

Before the ban, the Klein Karoo region was producing about 170 000 slaughter birds a year, which represented about 70 percent of ostrich meat consumption worldwide, most of it destined for the EU.

Mr Koen said the export embargo was still affecting South Africa badly, which was why it was important to monitor any new strain.

The provincial agriculture department urged farmers to enforce biosecurity measures introduced to curb bird flu. These include ostriches being separated from domestic bird species such as ducks and chickens and ensuring that ostriches do not have access to open pans and marshy areas in the camps where they are kept. Their supply of water should also consist of structured water troughs that do not attract wild water birds.

[Byline: John Harvey]

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ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
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[During 2012, 4 separate LPAI outbreaks in commercial ostrich farms (with a total number of 27 foci) reportedly started in South Africa, caused by serotypes H5N2 (10 foci) and H7N1 (17 foci). Of the said outbreaks, 2 were, according to OIE data, resolved, while 2 are "continuing." - Mod.AS.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1EPe.]

See Also

Avian influenza (32): South Africa (WC) ostrich, H7N1 20130409.1633858
2012
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Avian influenza (35): South Africa (WC), ostrich, LPAI, H5N2, OIE 20120515.1134212
Avian influenza (11): South Africa (WC) ostriches, H7N1, OIE 20120205.1033683
2011
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Avian influenza (38): South Africa (WC) ostriches, export 20110415.1180
Avian influenza (37): South Africa, ostriches, HPAI H5N2, OIE, RFI 20110413.1161
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