Six new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in South Africa have been confirmed, with all of those cases of an H7 variant.
Each of the six cases listed in an August 30 report from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) were confirmed in the Gauteng province. The report simply referred to each of the flocks as poultry.
Of the six new cases four of them were confirmed in Mogale City, with those cases collectively involving 234,494 birds. The largest of those flocks included 87,494 birds, while the smallest included 38,000 birds.
The other two affected flocks were significantly smaller. One of those was located in Ekurhuleni and involved 8,000 birds, while the smallest was in Midvaal and included 3,120 birds.
Samples from each flock were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI), where Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests came back positive.
The tally of birds that died in these flocks because of HPAI totals 8,923. The remaining susceptible birds were euthanized and their carcasses were disposed of.
WOAH listed the cause of the HPAI infections as unknown or inconclusive.
Each of the affected premises has been quarantined.
