The Free State government has moved to allay mounting fears over the bird flu outbreak after the disease forced fast-food restaurant KFC to close all its outlets in neighbouring Lesotho.
South Africa has been struggling to contain bird flu for several months and has culled more than seven million egg-laying hens – about 20-30 percent of the country’s entire stock.
However, only two outbreaks have been confirmed in the Free State to date, according to the provincial agriculture department.
“The Free State province has recorded two outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza,” Zimasa Leputla, the director for strategic communications at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Develepment, told The Free Stater.
“The two outbreaks were identified in Welkom in August, whilst the second outbreak was recorded a week ago (October).
“The two farms have been placed under quarantine, and the department’s field personnel are implementing prescribed control measures to prevent the further spread of the disease.”
She added: “The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus that has been identified in the Free State Province is not transmissible to humans.”
A total of 96 outbreaks are reported to have been confirmed in the entire country, forcing Lesotho to impose a ban on all poultry imports from South Africa.
Last week, Mozambique slaughtered about 45 000 infected hens it had imported from South Africa.
Namibia also banned the import of South African poultry in September.
The outbreak has led to a shortage of eggs and chicken meat in several countries in southern Africa.
The poultry imports ban imposed by Lesotho, a mountainous country entirely surrounded by South Africa, has “severely impacted” KFC’s supply of chicken.
KFC says its chickens come from farms in South Africa which are certified as being free of bird flu. – Staff Reporter