Producer Quantum Foods reported on Friday a loss of nearly two million chickens, amounting to over 5.3 million dollars. Food producer Astral says the infection is already causing a shortage of table eggs. It is expected that the supply of poultry meat may be negatively impacted in the coming months. The outbreak has already caused Astral millions of dollars in damages.
South Africa is one of Africa’s largest poultry producers. The country is dealing with two different strains of the virus, the notorious H5N1 and a new strain identified as H7N6. The latter is spreading "at an alarming rate," especially in the most densely populated province that includes Pretoria and the economic capital Johannesburg, according to Astral.
Globally, bird flu is increasingly infecting mammals ranging from foxes to sea lions, raising concerns that the virus may adapt to infect humans more easily, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Infections are generally seasonal, but in recent years cases have occurred throughout the year, with experts now considering this the largest outbreak ever.