JEREMY MAGGS: Let’s begin with this. South Africa has culled about seven and a half million chickens to contain dozens of outbreaks of two separate strains of avian influenza. Already, as a result, we are seeing a shortage of eggs right across the country. Let’s start the programme with Dr Mpho Maja, director of Animal Health. So is the situation, doctor, contained at the moment?
MPHO MAJA: If more cases are being reported, yes. Then more farms would be placed under quarantine and more birds would have to be culled.Bird flu outbreak costs Quantum Foods R106m so far MPHO MAJA: Not definite, but we know that avian influenza circulates in wild birds, both H5 and H7, and it would’ve been introduced from a wild bird population onto the poultry farm. That poultry farm would’ve been the … farms in the Mpumalanga area.
JEREMY MAGGS: If the situation gets worse, doctor, do we have in this country the capacity to handle it?