South Africa: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in South Africa- Update

The Animal Health Directorate in the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) released a progress report on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that was first detected in the Western Cape Province in April 2023. A total of 7.5 million broilers and layer chickens were reportedly culled between April and September 2023. The outbreak appears to be slowing with just 750,000 slaughtered in October and November. A total of twenty-two H5 outbreaks and fifteen H7 outbreaks were reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) as of November 2023. The geographic spread has similarly abated, with DALRRD reporting that eleven H5 and fifteen H7 outbreaks have been resolved. To supplement demand and rebuild the lost flock, import permits have been issued for 9 million fertilized eggs, 945,000 day-old chicks, 62 metric tons of egg products and 30,986 metric tons of poultry meat.