Mass vaccination against bird flu to start soon: Steenhuisen
This follows the department of agriculture's issuance of a vaccination permit to Astral Foods on Monday, authorising the company to begin vaccinating against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus at one of its broiler breeder farms.
The department said the vaccination campaign will begin with 200,000 broiler breeders, representing about 5% of Astral's total breeding stock, valued at an estimated R35m.
Steenhuisen welcomed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans.
The vaccination campaign was a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks, Steenhuisen said.
The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers.
He said the vaccine being used, targeting the H5 strain of the virus, was already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI.
TimesLIVE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
'Half SA's Covid-19 patients suffered long-term mental problems'
Researchers have found that more than half of South Africans infected with Covid-19 experienced lasting mental and cognitive health issues long after their recovery — some for as long as up to two years later. The research, conducted by the University of Cape Town and published in the journal Brain, Behaviour & Immunity — Health , followed 97 people who tested positive for Covid-19 during the first three waves of the pandemic. These people — ranging from those who had no symptoms to those who were critically ill — were interviewed at least six months after they were infected to assess ongoing neuropsychiatric symptoms like anxiety, fatigue and memory problems. Lead researcher Prof Jonny Peter said they found that illness severity didn't necessarily predict who would go on to experience these long-term effects. Even people who had mild or no symptoms reported problems months later. 'Nearly half of the participants showed signs of cognitive or memory difficulties on standard screening tests, and over 50% reported ongoing fatigue or mental health challenges,' he said. 'The team also looked for early warning signs in the blood — specific proteins or markers taken during the patients' illness that might help predict who would develop these persistent symptoms.' Peter said no clear patterns emerged.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa's poultry industry takes a proactive step with avian flu vaccination permit
Farming associations have welcomed news that South Africa issued its first permit to integrated poultry producer Astral for the vaccination of poultry against avian flu Image: File picture Farming associations have welcomed the issuing of the first permit to integrated poultry producer Astral Foods for the vaccination of poultry against avian flu. This comes after global outbreaks of Avian flu in America and Brazil. The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday announced that South Africa will embark on its first-ever vaccination campaign for poultry in the coming days as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks. Francois Rossouw, the CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), said that granting Astral a permit to vaccinate broiler breeding stock against HPAI was a crucial step forward for the poultry industry. 'From both a veterinary and agricultural perspective, this move strengthens our ability to prevent outbreaks, protect food security, and stabilise the industry economically. Breeding stock forms the foundation of poultry production,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Rossouw added that by vaccinating them, the industry was not only reducing the risk of disease but also avoiding the devastating financial and supply disruptions seen in past outbreaks. 'This decision shows that the department recognises the urgency of proactive disease management and is willing to work with the industry to ensure the continued availability of affordable, locally produced protein for South African families.' Izaak Breitenbach, the CEO of the South African Poultry Association, said that HPAI was a controlled disease managed by the department and therefore, the industry cannot just vaccinate when it wants to, like other diseases. 'Issuing the first permit for vaccination against HPAI to Astral Foods is a historically important event. To date, we could only rely on biosecurity and culling to control the disease, two processes that have proven ineffective against the disease, not only in South Africa but also in Europe and the USA,' he said. Breitenbach added that the issuing of the first permit in this regard was not the end but the beginning of a process to do mass vaccination of all long-living chickens in South Africa to prevent the huge losses the industry suffered in recent years. Dawie Maree, head of FNB Agriculture Marketing and Information, said it was a positive step in the right direction and long overdue. 'It must be noted that it is only long-living birds (breeding flock) that will be vaccinated and not broilers. And it is also for the one strain H5N1 and not H7N1 (the vaccine for the latter is not yet approved),' Maree said. 'But it is good that we can at least start. South Africa and the producers can't afford another devastating outbreak, especially in the breeding flock.' Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said that this was an encouraging step and follows a lengthy scientific assessment process. 'We all recall the 2023 avian influenza outbreak that resulted in egg shortages and higher prices. We also have a vivid memory of the egg shortages in the U.S. at the start of this year, which were also caused by the widespread avian influenza that affected their breeding stock,' he said. Sihlobo added that South Africa's decision to kickstart the vaccination was a welcome development, and an approach that the country should follow even in the years to come. 'We must ensure that the regulations remain agile so that, if there are outbreaks of new strains in the future, we can register vaccines speedily and effectively, allowing poultry businesses to avoid losses and maintain solid food security conditions.' BUSINESS REPORT
The Herald
17 hours ago
- The Herald
Children are getting lifestyle diseases of middle-aged adults
'The data show a clear link between lifestyle and these health conditions. We must intervene early if we want to reverse the trend,' said Peer. Researchers also noted a strong family history of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among participants. This, they suggest, may point to genetic predispositions and unhealthy family environments where poor diet and inactivity are common. Despite the worrying findings, the study provides a path forward. It recommends urgent implementation of interventions that focus on prevention, including encouraging healthy diets, increasing physical activity and reducing screen time in children. It also calls for routine screening of children for obesity and its associated conditions so that early treatment can be provided. 'The earlier we act, the better the outcomes,' said Peer. 'Children with high glucose or high blood pressure levels still have a chance to reverse these conditions. But without action, we're looking at a generation facing high rates of heart disease and diabetes by the time they reach adulthood.' The study's authors also emphasised the need for broader, multi-sectoral action. This includes tackling the political, socioeconomic and environmental drivers of obesity — such as the easy availability of unhealthy foods, inadequate recreational spaces and limited access to health services. TimesLIVE
