Avian flu hits Zimbabwe poultry farm again

Harare – An avian flu outbreak has again hit a poultry farm near the capital Harare in Zimbabwe, says a report.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, the department of veterinary services director, Dr Josphat Nyika said the farm was already under quarantine following an earlier outbreak there in May.

Nyika said that the quarantine was going to be extended for three months “until the disease is completely resolved”.

He said only one farm was affected by the outbreak and “every effort is being made to prevent infection from escaping” the farm.

At least 7 000 chicken and another 140 000 were slaughtered as a preventative measure during the first outbreak, reported BBC.

Last month Zimbabwe reportedly banned all poultry products from South Africa following an outbreak of avian flu in Mpumalanga and Free State provinces.

The banned products included hatching eggs, table eggs, frozen chicken and mechanically de-boned meat.