CAPE TOWN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), type H5N8, has spread to two ostrich farms near Cape Town, authorities said on Tuesday.
Quarantine has been instituted and the application of disease control measures have commenced, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in its update report on HPAI H5N8 outbreak in the country.
The newly detected outbreak bring the total number of outbreaks to 16, eight of which were in commercial chickens, three outbreaks in wild birds, two outbreaks in commercial ostrich, two outbreaks in backyard poultry and one outbreak in birds that were kept as a hobby, according to the department.
The outbreak has triggered a nationwide concern. South Africa had never reported an outbreak of bird flu before.
The H5N8 strain was first reported on a farm in Mpumalanga Province in northern South Africa in June.
The department said it has received requests to vaccinate and these requests are under consideration.
"As can be appreciated, all possible pros and cons have to be carefully assessed in order for a decision to be reached," department spokesperson Bomikazi Molapo said.
At the moment, vaccination against HPAI is prohibited for the long term benefit of the poultry industry at large.
The department has applied for additional funding to deal with the disease control measures, including compensation where applicable, Molapo said.
Auction houses, buyers and sellers are still required to register with the Poultry Disease Management Agency (PDMA) to ensure traceability, he said.
Also on Tuesday, the Western Cape Provincial Health Department assured the public that ostrich and chicken meat on sale in retail outlets is safe for human consumption.
Avian influenza is a viral respiratory disease of birds believed to be transmitted by wild migratory birds. In Southern Africa, the H5N8 strain of the disease also affected the poultry industry in Zimbabwe, where thousands of commercial birds have died or had to be culled.
This strain of the virus has so far shown no sign of being infectious to people. Constant monitoring of exposed people in South Africa has supported this.
There is currently no preventive vaccine or treatment for HPAI H5N8. Current practice in most regions of the world requires the culling of infected birds.
