SA: Bird flu origins unknown

2004-10-28 11:15

Carien du Plessis

Port Elizabeth - Nearly a month after the last ostriches were culled to prevent the spread of avian flu, the Eastern Cape agriculture department still does not know where the epidemic originated.

According to the department's new protocol for the procurement of ostriches, the only certainty was that the disease had spread because of "uncontrolled exchange of ostriches between farms, provinces and countries".

Dr Luba Mrwebi, senior manager for Eastern Cape veterinarian services, recently announced stricter regulations. These came into force with the suspension of quarantine measures that were introduced when the first case of avian flu was diagnosed in July.

Farmers now need permits to move ostriches from one farm to another inside the province and across provincial borders.

Farmers will also have to wait until next year before buying new stock as a number of ostriches on the farm Draaihoek, just outside the quarantine area, may not be moved during the next two months to make sure the epidemic is over.

Sid Birch, owner of the farms Endor and Voorspoed near Middleton, who lost 8 000 ostriches, said the new regulations came as a shock.

"I understood that we would be able to buy ostriches from the 26th, but now we will have to wait even longer," he said.

He had to dismiss 41 workers because he was still waiting for government to pay compensation.

He said government refused to compensate him for nearly half of the birds he had lost. These birds died three weeks after he reported the outbreak on his farm before government got around to culling them.

Of the amount government did pay out, he received only 10%. The rest went to the company that runs the farm with him.

Ash Davenport of the farm Revolution near Grahamstown said his farm looked "like a graveyard" since his 5 000 ostriches were put down.

He said he was also battling to get the money due to him from the department of agriculture. He also had to dismiss most of his workers.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel set aside R33m in his medium-term budget to combat avian flu.

Agriculture department spokesperson Segoati Mahlangu could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

- Die Burger