A TYPE of bird flu has been detected on an ostrich farm near Oudtshoorn, Western Cape agriculture MEC Gerrit van Rensburg said on Tuesday.
"The tests indicated that the causative organism is a H7N1 virus," he said. "The pathogenicity of this virus is still unknown, but samples have been submitted to determine the type."
About 50,000 ostriches have been culled in South Africa since the H5N2 bird-flu virus was detected in the Klein Karoo in April 2011. The industry's biggest buyer, the European Union, imposed an export ban that resulted in losses of more than R1bn. Several farmers culled their entire flocks and laid off all their workers.
The source of the latest infection was not yet clear, but the provincial department had started an "intensive epidemiological investigation", according to Mr van Rensburg.
As a precaution, the MEC has prohibited all movement of ostriches and ostrich products within a 3km radius of the farm where the outbreak occurred. All ostriches in this zone are being quarantined, sampled and tested.
The department’s planned ostrich auction for Wednesday has also been postponed, and the measures will remain in place until further notice.
Mr van Rensburg said the impact of the latest outbreak on the industry’s export hopes would be clearer once the results of the follow-up tests were known.
Ostrich producers have been told to limit the movement of their animals within the area and to report any sick or dead birds to the state veterinarian.
The Cape Argus reported on Tuesday that there was also a new threat from thieves who plucked feathers from live birds at night, with the Western Cape government’s research farm in Oudtshoorn reportedly among the main targets.
Researcher Stefan Engelbrecht told the newspaper the farm was first hit by feather thieves about a month ago and again recently. About 70 birds were plucked and four were bludgeoned to death.
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