South Africa hit by a catastrophic Avian Influenza outbreak
South Africa has taken the drastic measure of culling approximately 7.5 million chickens in response to multiple outbreaks of two distinct strains of avian influenza (H5N1 and H7N6). These outbreaks posed a significant threat to the availability of eggs and poultry meat for consumers.
The impact of these outbreaks was felt in local grocery stores in Johannesburg, where limits on egg purchases were imposed, sometimes restricting customers to just one carton of six eggs. The government acknowledged the existence of supply constraints and revealed that approximately 2.5 million broiler breeders and an additional 5 million egg-laying chickens had been culled. This represents around 20-30 percent of South Africa's entire chicken stock. To address potential shortages, the government has expedited the issuance of import permits to facilitate the importation of eggs from other countries.
While there was consideration of implementing a vaccination program, it was hindered by the unavailability of a suitable vaccine for the H7N6 strain. This avian influenza outbreak is considered the most severe ever experienced by the country, resulting in an estimated economic loss of at least $25 million. Local vaccine manufacturers are diligently working on developing a vaccine, with hopes that it will be ready for use within six months. Importantly, it's worth noting that there is no compensation available to farmers affected by avian influenza in South Africa.
