South Africa reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus. No humans have been infected so far. The spread of the disease is caused and aided by wild bird migrations and is highly pathogenic among fowl but the risk of human infection is low. To date no cases of human infection with the bird flu virus has been reported. People handling sick or dying poultry or wild birds, must wear protective clothing and must wash their hands with disinfectants.

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The government says meat from healthy poultry is safe to eat. Strict inspections are done at abattoirs, but people are urged not to eat any birds or poultry found sick, dying or already dead.

A total of 24,000 chickens from Astral, a chicken company on a farm near Villiers in the Free State, South Africa, have been culled after the outbreak of the highly contagious bird flu, caused by the H5N8-virus. This was done with the assistance of the state veterinary and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in accordance with international acceptable standards.

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Astral noticed the first mortalities last week on Monday afternoon. A variety of blood tests and tissue samples was tested at the Veterinary institute at Onderstepoort and by midnight on Wednesday, the highly pathogenic H5N8 were identified. According to Astral the mortality rate is much higher than normal. The veterinarians could not detect any clinical symptoms between the chickens.

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Agri SA released a report wherein it states that there is currently no cure against this highly pathogenic H5N8-virus, and therefore, prevention is of utmost importance.
At this stage only chickens for breeding purposes are affected and not the braai-chickens for meat production.
Although the virus did not affect all four structures where eggs are laid, it is decided by Astral to kill all remaining chickens to isolate the virus. The situation is monitored. The worst scenario is that all the chickens on the farm must be killed.

The Astral farm is the only breeding farm in the vicinity and is not close to any other braai-chicken farms. The chickens that were killed consists of about 0,8% of Astral’s breeding chickens.

There are also reports of an outbreak of Avian flu – or bird flu, on a farm in Mpumalanga. People are urged not to buy any chickens from flea markets to prevent the spread if the disease.
The infection is normally carried by wild birds and from water resources. The Astral farm in Villiers is close to the Vaal river. They are in the process to investigate droppings from the wild birds.

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FACTS ABOUT AVIAN FLU

• The first recorded history of avian flu was in 1878, and was known as fowl plaque.
• The first influenza strain was isolated in 1996 from a goose in China.
• The first reported human infections were reported in 1997 in Hong Kong.
• The WHO (World Health Organization) received 700 reports of human cases infected, although over 60 countries have been affected, primarily from 15 countries in Asia, The Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East
• Most human cases infected with avian flu, resulted in handling dead infected birds or from contact with infected fluids and can also be spread by surfaces contaminated with droppings
• Most wild birds will only have a mild form of the flu strain
• It becomes much deadlier once domesticated birds such as turkeys and chicken are infected, because they are in close contact
• Because of close quarters and low hygienic conditions, there is a large threat of the flu amongst poultry in Asia
• Human-to-human transmission is difficult without elongated contact
• Health officials are worried that strains of bird flu may change to become easily transmissible between humans

In recent studies, there was no rise in the increase of the infection in Asia when wild birds migrate south again, but the spreading of the infection from Asia to Europe is more likely caused by illegal poultry trades. The pattern of infection followed transportation such as country boarders, railroads and roads. In 2004, strains of the flu virus exist in the US (United States), Texas, but they have been extinguished and no infection of humans have been reported.

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It is suspected that the infections on the Astral farm in South Africa, are coming from Zimbabwe. It is the same virus found in Zimbabwe. The World Organization for Animal Health, announced in early June that more than 80,000 chickens in Zimbabwe already died of the virus.
All trade in birds and chicken products from neighboring Zimbabwe, have been suspended by South Africa earlier this month.

This is the first appearance of bird flu in South Africa. It has been identified in large areas in Europe and Asia last year and more recently in Africa countries like Uganda and Zimbabwe.

[http://ewn.co.za/2017/06/23/south-africans-urged-not-to-panic-over-bird-flu-outbreak-in-mpumalanga]

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