August 9, 2004

South Africa To Cull 30,000 Ostriches Following Bird Flu Outbreak

The culling of 30 000 ostriches and poultry will begin on Tuesday in the Eastern Cape following the outbreak of Avian Flu. The strain of flu is restricted to ostriches but poultry will also be destroyed as a precautionary measure. Two farms in the Middleton area have been affected.

The mass culling of the ostriches means affected farmers will lose millions. Exports of domestically produced ostrich and poultry related products have also been suspended. South Africa's ostrich industry generates in excess of a billion rand a year from exports.

There is no indication of the disease anywhere else in the country.

The strain of the flu has been identified as H5N2, a cousin of the strain which killed 24 people and millions of chickens in Asia earlier this year. Strict quarantine measures are in place around the affected farms. These are expected to remain in place for two to three weeks.

After the culling, farmers will have to wait for three months before they can start farming again.

Farmers are still in the dark as to what extent they will be compensated by government for the preventative culling programme. Affected birds will be buried in a mass grave.