Vigilance needed over bird flu threat, says DA

Cape Town - The threat of bird flu, which has been detected in the country, must be tightly monitored, the Democratic Alliance’s Western Cape branch said on Sunday.

“With the virus having been detected and confirmed inside our borders, the threat of contagion to other provinces is potentially imminent,” said member of the provincial parliament Beverley Schafer.

Over the weekend, the agriculture department announced that a ban on the sale of live hens had been implemented after avian flu was confirmed at a farm in Mpumalanga. 

The farm, which has not been named yet, has been quarantined and the affected animals have been already been culled there.

Chickens already in supermarkets would have been vetted and are safe.

On Sunday, Schafer said a proactive approach was needed in other provinces.

 “Our first defence against the spread of this virus is to inform our poultry industry to be on high alert, and to provide any support necessary,” said Schafer.