Somerset East – The department of agriculture on Wednesday threw a blanket of secrecy over the ostrich avian flu breakout in the Middleton area of the Eastern Cape.

Sapa’s photographer was turned away at a roadblock a few kilometres from the farm where the culling of the infected birds was taking place.

Ostriches are being culled following an outbreak of avian influenza in the area, commonly known as bird flu.

A department official manning the roadblock said he and the police officers there had been instructed not to speak to the media.

A farmer in the area, who asked not to be named, said it would be impossible to gain access to the farms “as they don’t want pictures of dead birds going all over the world”.

Department spokesperson Segoati Mahlangu could not immediately be reached for comment.

Vehicles coming in and out of the area had to have their tyres sprayed with a special liquid as part of efforts to stop the spread of the disease. Certain police and agriculture department vehicles did not seem to have to undergo this procedure.

Photographers were also instructed not to take photographs of the spraying.

Meanwhile, a group of farmers said on Tuesday the ostrich meat was safe for consumption despite the outbreak of the flu on two farms.

Jan Greyling, a spokesperson for the Klein Karoo group which represents producers of ostrich meat and ostrich products, said the avian flu strain that had been identified by a South African laboratory “was not known to affect humans”.

Edited by Tisha Steyn

Source: News24.Com
URL: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/New…/p>