Western Cape govt hopeful after almost 20k seabirds die of Avian Influenza

The Western Cape Provincial government is hopeful that it has turned the corner following a deadly wave of Avian Influenza that killed close to 20,000 wild seabirds in the province.

On Tuesday, the provincial Disaster Management Centre and Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said the outbreak was not yet over but the numbers of dying birds continued to decline in most regions.

“Since 1 October 2021, the total number of recorded dead birds is 18388 of which 17926 are Cape Cormorants,” reads the statement.

“The area most affected is Dyer island where 12203 dead birds have been reported to date.

“We haven’t had any reports of the virus spreading further inland or to other unaffected regions which may suggest that our ongoing interventions have paid off.

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“At the moment we’re losing around 100 birds per day, down from around 750 at the peak of the outbreak. The bulk of the deaths are reported on Dyer island where 59 Cape Cormorants were found yesterday (Monday). At the peak of the outbreak around 500 per day were dying on the island.”

Bredell said that efforts will continue to address the ongoing outbreak.

“We hope we’ve turned the corner, but more time is needed to be sure.”

The public has since been urged to remain vigilant and report unusual mortalities in any birds to their local municipality, conservation authority or state veterinarian.

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