South Africa has stopped the import of live poultry and poultry products from the United Kingdom after an outbreak of bird flu in that country.
”An outbreak of highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza [bird flu], caused by the H5N1 subtype of the virus has killed 1 500 turkeys on a farm in Suffolk, United Kingdom.
”South Africa immediately placed an embargo on the importation of all live poultry and poultry products from the UK until further notice,” the Department of Agriculture said in a statement on Thursday.
It said poultry products ”subjected to a process complying with international requirements to ensure the satisfactory inactivation of the avian influenza virus” were excluded from the suspension.
Consignments of live poultry and poultry products already on the way from the UK would be detained at ports of entry, and veterinary import permits had been cancelled.
An extensive surveillance programme, in place since 2005, meant the country had remained free of the H5N1 avian influenza.
The department said poultry and ostrich meat currently available on supermarket shelves around the country was safe to eat, but warned all such meat ”should always be cooked until the pink colour has disappeared”. — Sapa