October 29, 2004

South Africa Still Unclear Where Bird Flu Originated

A month has passed since ostriches were last culled to prevent the spread of bird flu in South Africa. But the Eastern Cape agriculture department is still unsure where the epidemic originated.

According to the department's new protocol for the procurement of ostriches, the only certainty was that the disease had spread because of "uncontrolled exchange of ostriches between farms, provinces and countries".

Stricter regulations are now enforced in South Africa. They were implemented with the suspension of quarantine measures that were introduced when the first case of bird flu was diagnosed in July.

Permits are currently needed to move ostriches from one farm to another within the province and across provincial borders.

Farmers will also have to wait until next year before buying new stock as a number of ostriches on the farm Draaihoek, just outside the quarantine area, may not be moved during the next two months to make sure the epidemic is over.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel had set aside R33 million in his medium-term budget to combat avian flu.