SA looks at bird flu vaccines

2005-11-01 13:55

Cape Town - South Africa is evaluating US-manufactured vaccines for use against the feared H5N1 avian flu.

"Because we are along the route of migratory birds from Siberia and Asia, there is some concern the pathogenic virus could be introduced to the poultry industry, and could also jump to humans," Agricultural Research Council livestock division head Andrew Magadlela said on Tuesday.

Briefing members of Parliament's agriculture and land affairs portfolio committee, he said the council was involved in "surveillance" of wild migratory birds such as ducks and others, as well as watching for symptoms of related viruses in local and migratory birds in South Africa.

"We have formed a partnership with the ostrich industry and the department of agriculture, to evaluate vaccines that are manufactured (in the US)... for possible registration within South Africa, once they have been shown to be efficacious."

Possible risk to people

Prevention and control of livestock diseases, including those that could jump from animals to humans, depended on the development of effective vaccines, Magadlela said.

Researchers rate the risk to humans from bird flu as low, because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans.

However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry - including domesticated chickens, ducks, turkeys - there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds, or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds.

To date, there have been no reported cases of the H5N1 virus from local poultry breeders.

- SAPA