First-ever mass vaccination of poultry in SA to combat bird flu
He also announced that the department had also ordered vaccines to combat foot and mouth disease.
'Our vaccination team, comprising poultry specialist vets from the University of Pretoria, along with the Agricultural Research Council, has received a list of farms to be vaccinated from the poultry industry and is prioritising high-risk areas and commercial flocks to contain the virus and prevent further culling,' Steenhuisen said.
He said the country had secured a vaccine supply, ensured cold chain capacity and was building traceability and reporting mechanisms as part of a wider preparedness strategy .
In addition, 50 animal health technicians were appointed on short-term contracts to help with the vaccination rollout. Their induction and refresher training was expected to start next week.
Steenhuisen said the department had also ordered foot and mouth disease vaccines to cover KwaZulu-Natal, while assessment, as well forward and backward tracing of the outbreak in Gauteng, was ongoing.
More than 900,000 doses of vaccines were ordered and the first batch is expected to arrive next week.
'These plans are not only about responding to outbreaks, but also about building permanent infrastructure to manage future risks.
'More broadly, we are establishing a biosecurity council that will bring together the police, veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority and industry. We are rolling out a farm-to-fork national traceability system for livestock,' Steenhuisen said.
He said Onderstepoort was being upgraded to restore vaccine self-sufficiency and rural veterinary services and emergency response were enhanced. The dip-tank model in partnership with traditional leaders was also being introduced.
Steenhuisen praised Karan Beef for its quick response to the foot and mouth outbreak in its Heidelberg facility d uring a virtual meeting on Wednesday night with the company and departmental officials.
The agriculture department said there were still signs of active virus circulation in the disease management area (DMA) in KwaZulu-Natal, with some outbreaks detected outside the DMA.
A system has been put in place to assess the level of biosecurity on individual farms, with the intention of aligning the control measures to the biosecurity risks.
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