The first case of an avian influenza outbreak in the Eastern Cape was reported by major poultry producer Sovereign Foods yesterday (Thursday).
In a stock exchange news service statement, the company noted that the highly pathogenic virus had been detected in a single layer house on a farm that forms part of its broader Uitenhage operations.
“Sovereign’s management is currently taking the appropriate steps and following the prescribed protocols to prevent AI [avian influenza] from spreading to other farms,” said a spokesperson for the poultry producer.
The statement also noted that around 5 000 birds had already been culled, representing approximately 1% of Uitenhage’s production pipeline.
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) spokesperson, Bomikazi Molapo, told FTW Online that the total number of outbreaks, since June this year, was now recorded at 43.
