Efforts ongoing to contain bird flu: Agriculture Dept
The National Department of Agriculture is tracing all out-going products from a KZN poultry farm in the last seven days - prior to the detection of avian flu.
At least 30 000 chickens have been culled after the HPAI H5N8 strain was detected at a commercial layer farm in eNcome, in the AbaQulusi Local Municipality.
Officials were called in after the poultry farm recorded high mortality rates.
"Every person who sells live chickens - they already know to register with the Poultry Disease Management Agency. We've increased surveillance, and imposed quarantine measures in all farms that are affected," says spokesperson, Bomikazi Molopo.
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Charlotte Nkuna from the SA Poultry Association says there is no risk to consumers.
"If a farm is found to be positive then tracings of any products that may have left the farm in the last 21 days are also destroyed. The chances of infected products ending up on shelves is very unlikely," she says.
Agriculture says the ban on the sale of live chickens that was implemented in June remains in place.
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The Agricultural Department has applied for additional funding from national government for disease control measures.
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