Hopes for control of bird flu dashed
Namibian borders will remain closed for poultry imports from South Africa for a longer period following the spread of the H5N8 bird flu virus to two other farms in that country.
The South African agricultural department confirmed in a statement that the disease had been confirmed at two new locations in South Africa, bringing the total of affected properties to four. The new locations involved commercial layer chickens on farms in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
Namibia suspended the import and in-transit movements of live poultry, birds, poultry products, ostriches and ostrich products from South Africa at the end of May following the bird flu outbreak in that country.
The chief veterinary officer in the agriculture ministry, Dr Milton Masheke, told Namibian Sun yesterday that every new case reported in South Africa would extend the timeframe before South Africa could be declared free of the disease before Namibia could open its borders to poultry products from South Africa.
He said South Africa was doing everything possible to control the spread of the disease.
Masheke pointed out that a lot still needed to be done in South Africa. “This will take a very long time, they have to search for new cases and then there is still a three-month surveillance period before they can be declared free of the disease.”
Masheke did not want to speculate on how long it would take before imports resumed.
He said when South Africa declared itself free of the disease to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Namibia would reopen its borders to imports of poultry products from South Africa.
“This will take a very long time. However, should conditions improve in the country we will consider different options,” he said. “Of course we are worried and there will be a shortage of products at some point,” Masheke said.
He stressed that because South Africa was such an important source of poultry imports for Namibia, local poultry producers should look at increasing production and importing from other countries.
“There are many countries that are free of the disease where we can import from,” he said.
The acting chairperson of the Namibian Poultry Association, Rene Werner, recently told Namibian Sun that the impact on the industry would be huge if the border closure for poultry imports remained in place for more than a month.
He explained that poultry producers renew their gene pool in cycles and every three months they put the old chickens out and get new chickens in. “What has happened now is that the cycle has been broken because we are not getting new chickens in and although it is currently still fine, if it lasts longer it will become a serious problem.”
Meanwhile, South African authorities have placed the two farms where the disease has spread to under quarantine.
The necessary measures have been taken to contain and eliminate the disease as efficiently as possible on both farms.
ELLANIE SMIT
The South African agricultural department confirmed in a statement that the disease had been confirmed at two new locations in South Africa, bringing the total of affected properties to four. The new locations involved commercial layer chickens on farms in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
Namibia suspended the import and in-transit movements of live poultry, birds, poultry products, ostriches and ostrich products from South Africa at the end of May following the bird flu outbreak in that country.
The chief veterinary officer in the agriculture ministry, Dr Milton Masheke, told Namibian Sun yesterday that every new case reported in South Africa would extend the timeframe before South Africa could be declared free of the disease before Namibia could open its borders to poultry products from South Africa.
He said South Africa was doing everything possible to control the spread of the disease.
Masheke pointed out that a lot still needed to be done in South Africa. “This will take a very long time, they have to search for new cases and then there is still a three-month surveillance period before they can be declared free of the disease.”
Masheke did not want to speculate on how long it would take before imports resumed.
He said when South Africa declared itself free of the disease to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Namibia would reopen its borders to imports of poultry products from South Africa.
“This will take a very long time. However, should conditions improve in the country we will consider different options,” he said. “Of course we are worried and there will be a shortage of products at some point,” Masheke said.
He stressed that because South Africa was such an important source of poultry imports for Namibia, local poultry producers should look at increasing production and importing from other countries.
“There are many countries that are free of the disease where we can import from,” he said.
The acting chairperson of the Namibian Poultry Association, Rene Werner, recently told Namibian Sun that the impact on the industry would be huge if the border closure for poultry imports remained in place for more than a month.
He explained that poultry producers renew their gene pool in cycles and every three months they put the old chickens out and get new chickens in. “What has happened now is that the cycle has been broken because we are not getting new chickens in and although it is currently still fine, if it lasts longer it will become a serious problem.”
Meanwhile, South African authorities have placed the two farms where the disease has spread to under quarantine.
The necessary measures have been taken to contain and eliminate the disease as efficiently as possible on both farms.
ELLANIE SMIT
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