South Africa - Untreated water could have spread bird flu to ostriches
Published:August 11, 2004
Source :SABC News
The SA Veterinary Association (Sava) "strongly suspect" that the use of untreated surface water transferred the avian influenza virus to ostrich flocks in the Eastern Cape, Sava said today.
Open dams or free-running water may have spread the virus to ostriches, which should drink treated water. Other measures could prevent infection, Sava said.
"It is ... important to discourage the interaction of wild birds with ostriches and free range poultry," said Banie Penzhorn, the Sava president, in a statement.
Penzhorn said in practice this meant changing feeding methods so that all food is consumed, not the common approach of feeding once a day or even once every few days. He said it was also recommended that farmers consider night feeding in ostrich feedlots or for young chicks. "Leftover feed attracts wild birds," he said.
Penzhorn said if precautionary measures were taken, further outbreaks of bird flu in ostriches and poultry can be prevented. He said virus identification tests conducted confirm the virus as an H5N2 type that is potentially highly pathogenic and dangerous to poultry, with the virus "unlikely to affect humans".
