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Agriculture

Bird flu found on SA ostrich farm, no Chinese link seen

───   05:52 Wed, 10 Apr 2013

Bird flu found on SA ostrich farm, no Chinese link seen | News Article
Oudtshoorn - A new bird flu has been detected on an ostrich farm near Oudtshoorn. Authorities say additional tests are being carried out butit is unlikely to pose a threat to humans after another strain killed eight people in China. Western Cape agriculture MEC Gerrit van Rensburg said as a precautionary measure, he had prohibited all movement of ostriches and their products within a three kilometre radius of the outbreak farm. Marna Sinclair, a state vet in the area, said there had been previous incidents of the H7N1 viruses in the region, but none were found to be related to the current Chinese strain, H7N9, and no people have fallen ill. The industry was hard hit by an export ban imposed in April 2011, after another outbreak of avian flu. To date, 50 percent of ostrich farmers have left the industry.

Sapa/Reuters

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