GEORGE NEWS - The first case of H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in the Western Cape was diagnosed on a poultry farm in the George area on Thursday 12 October, according to a media statement by the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer.
Meyer said it was very unfortunate and a blow to the Western Cape poultry industry.
"This follows the introduction of chickens from an infected province in the north. The George farm has been quarantined and culling on the farm has already started," said Meyer.
HPAI was recently detected in the Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and Limpopo provinces.
Meyer urged Western Cape poultry owners to heighten biosecurity measures as far as possible and be extremely cautious about bringing in any new chickens or allowing visitors or vehicles onto poultry farms.
"Moving chickens from infected provinces should be avoided at all costs as this has a severe impact on the entire Western Cape province if more cases of H7 HPAI are detected.”
He warned that the H5N1 HPAI virus that caused seven outbreaks in the Western Cape from April to June 2023, is still a threat from wild birds.
Read more on www.georgeherald.com
Details of local state veterinarians in the Western Cape can be found at https://rb.gy/37ir5
To learn more about Avian Influenza, visit the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s website: https://rb.gy/76ine
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