SA Poultry Exports Banned due to Latest Avian Influenza Outbreak

Published 2021년 4월 26일

A recent outbreak of the H5 avian influenza has been reported in a commercial layer flock on the East Rand of Johannesburg, South Africa. Tests conducted at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute to ascertain the N-type of the virus have confirmed the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. The company where the detection was made has decided to cull all 240,000 hens to safeguard farms in the surrounding area and the South African poultry industry. The replacement cost of these hens is valued at ZAR 20M (USD1.4M). This recent Avian Influenza outbreak has led to import bans from several countries for South African chicken meat and eggs.

Quarantine protocols placed

According to reports from the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) and the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), the farm in concern has been placed under quarantine by the Gauteng veterinary authorities. The animal health departments of the national and provincial DALRRD have also implemented the necessary control measures. The authorities are performing tracing techniques to determine the extent of the outbreak. They are also aiding with the hygienic disposal of dead and culled chickens and disinfecting the farm.

High alert after 2017 outbreak

According to SAPA, the industry is on high alert, and the necessary biosecurity contingency plans have been implemented, with people and bird movement are restricted according to these protocols. The recent outbreak is the first on a commercial farm in South Africa since the H5N8 HPAI in 2017, which significantly impacted the layer industry. However, the current episode is not the same strain as the one experienced in 2017 but is still considered severe and virulent.

At the moment, Europe is facing a widespread outbreak of avian influenza, which was initially confirmed in October 2020. Northern European countries such as the UK, Lithuania, and Finland have been predominantly affected. According to SAPA, the loss to the poultry industry caused by the recent outbreaks is far less compared to the previous large-scale epidemics of 2015 and 2017 due to lessons learned previously.

According to SAPA, the role of migratory wild birds in the spread of avian influenza has been proven. The spread is accelerated at this time of year during their natural migration northwards. SAPA urges farmers to be on the lookout for and to report dead birds to their nearest veterinarian. As a result, the containment of poultry flocks in the affected areas is necessary to avoid possible contamination. Unfortunately, another outbreak of HPAI H5 has been confirmed on a North West broiler breeder farm. This has led to the culling of 7,000 broiler breeder birds on the farm. The Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute has received the mortalities for analysis and sequencing.

Advice for poultry farmers

The DALRRD has urged poultry farmers to look out for signs of the disease and familiarize themselves with and implement biosecurity protocols to the highest levels to protect their flocks and South Africa’s poultry industry. Along with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the WHO has confirmed that this particular strain of the virus is harmless to humans. Therefore eggs and broiler meat products are considered safe to consume, provided standard cooking methods are followed, such as cooking at temperatures above 60˚C.

Effects on trade

Namibia has banned poultry imports from SA’s Compartment ZA 18/500 (the defined area of the first outbreak). Botswana and Mozambique have also followed suit, banning all South African poultry meat, eggs, and feathers. Lesotho has also banned chicken eggs from Gauteng province. The DALRRD is currently engaged in discussion with all neighboring countries to manage and minimize the impact on South African exports.