Red meat is expensive.
And as such, a lot of South Africans are relying on white meat. There have been reports of Avian influenza, much to the concern of many.
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) describes avian flu is an infection - usually of wild birds - but sometimes also of commercial or domestic poultry.
“Rarely, avian influenza strains can cause disease in humans. Avian influenza strains that have caused disease in humans are ‘influenza A(H5N1)’ and ‘influenza A(H7N9),” says the NICD.
The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has affected five commercial chicken farms in the Western Cape, but despite this, the department of agriculture has assured South Africans that eggs and chicken are safe for consumption, says spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo.
Read more | Gauteng health dept urges residents to stay away from contaminated water as cholera death toll rises
“All affected farms have been immediately placed under quarantine and no live animals/birds and eggs are allowed to be removed from the farm. The Department would like to reassure consumers that commercial poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat. Care should, however, be taken when preparing food to avoid other food-borne pathogens.
“Birds infected with HPAI get sick fairly quickly and die. Generally the first sign of sick animals, including birds, is drop in production, meaning that sick birds will produce very few (if any) eggs. This, together with the added mitigation of placing farms under quarantine, means no eggs from infected properties will make their way to shelves,” he says.
Reggie further urges that farmers to take all the necessary steps to stop the spread.
“We strongly encourage all poultry farmers including those with birds kept as a hobby or for zoo purposes to adhere to strict biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of HPAI.
“We also urge farmers and individuals to report any suspect outbreak must be to the responsible private or state veterinarian.”
Brazil and the UK are just some of the countries who also have had avian flu cases detected.
