The H5N2 strain of avian flu has been detected at a farm in the Western Cape and described by the National Department of Agriculture as being similar to the strain that South Africa successfully eradicated from ostriches in 2004/2005. In 2004, South Africa culled approximately 15,000 ostriches to contain the highly contagious disease.

The department said South African ostrich and poultry meat remained safe for consumption and that the outbreak was probably limited to the single farm on which it was detected and which had been put under quarantine with the subsequent culling of all 60 ostriches.

The H5N2 strain detected at the farm was in no way related to the H5N1 strain that caused large scale poultry deaths in the Far East, Europe and Northern Africa, and which is also deadly to humans.

This week the EU banned imports of ostriches, emus and their meat from Mossel Bay and Riversdale following the detection of the H5N2 strain.

According to the SA Ostrich Business Chamber, South Africa has around 558 export registered farms, producing approximately 300,000 slaughter birds annually.

There are ten export-approved abattoirs for EU purposes, while meat also goes to Asia on a large scale, and 15 tanneries. Total employment in the production and processing sectors of the ostrich industry is just under 20,000 workers.

The total investment in ostrich activities exceeds R2.1 billion ($293 million). Export income amounts to R1.2 billion annually with 90% of both leather and meat products being exported.