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(Natural News)—South Africa has had to cull about 7.5 million chickens to contain dozens of outbreaks caused by two different strains of avian influenza. This resulted in the scarcity and price increase of eggs and poultry meat, which are some of the go-to staples and a more affordable source of protein.
The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) reported the first bird flu cases in commercial poultry farms in April. SAPA General Manager Izaak Breitenbach said roughly 205,000 chickens have died from two different bird flu strains – the infamous H5N1 and a new strain identified as H7N6 – in at least 60 separate outbreaks across the country
More than half of those outbreaks occurred in Gauteng province, which includes the city of Johannesburg and the executive capital Pretoria. H7N6 was spreading through the northeastern provinces of Mpumalanga and Gauteng at an “alarming rate.”
Producer Quantum Foods said because of the fowl plague, it had lost almost two million chickens – worth a total of more than 100 million African rand (roughly $5.18 million).
“They’re dying like flies. This year’s bird flu outbreaks are the worst that South Africa has witnessed and has already caused shortages of table eggs and poultry meat in the market,” leading poultry producer Astral Food said in a trading update.
Additionally, the supply of these poultry products into the value chain could be affected negatively in the months to come. “Not only will these be limited, they will also be a bit pricey for low-income households already overburdened in the consumer market,” Astral added.
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Some grocery stores in Johannesburg are already limiting the number of eggs customers are allowed to buy – one carton of eggs in some shops.
The government announced that 2.5 million chickens bred for their meat had been culled. Breitenback said another five million egg-laying chickens had also been culled – adding that the nearly 7.5 million birds culled represented about 20 to 30 percent of South Africa’s total chicken stock.
According to SAPA, the number of avian flu cases in South Africa this year was higher than in any year since the first outbreaks of fowl plague were reported in commercial farms in 2017. (Related: Mass chicken culling based on “avian influenza outbreaks” just another malicious attack on the FOOD SUPPLY.)
Neighboring Namibia has banned chicken meat and egg imports from South Africa, one of the continent’s major poultry producers.
To ensure sufficient supplies for consumers, South African Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza said the government has accelerated approval of new import permits to bring in eggs from other countries. Didiza added that her ministry is also considering a vaccination program to curb the avian flu outbreaks.
Breitenbach said the outbreaks are “by far the worst,” costing industry losses of at least $25 million and badly hitting an industry already struggling from an electricity crisis, which led to unprecedented levels of nationwide power blackouts to save energy.
In January, South African farmers said they had been forced to cull nearly 10 million young chicks as the country experienced record blackouts at the start of the year.
“As many as 8.5 million egg-laying chickens could be affected and more than 10 million birds overall, which is going to be catastrophic to the industry,” said Wilhelm Mare, chairman of the poultry group in the South African Veterinary Association. “It tells me we’re going to have problems for quite a while.”
Avian influenza (fowl plague) in South Africa
In poultry, low pathogenicity strains in avian influenza can cause subclinical infection, sometimes called a pre-infection or inapparent infection with few or no signs of infection in the host. Some strains typically cause respiratory signs or decreased egg production. Highly pathogenic ones, such as the H5N1 strain, could cause widespread organ failure and sudden deaths – often with high mortality rates.
The H7N6 strain, which is new to South Africa, appears to be far more contagious than the H5N1 virus spreading in the rest of the world, veterinarian Dr. Shahn Bisschop, who heads Avimune, a poultry veterinary service in South Africa, told media outlets.
“Animal health officials aren’t sure if the onset of warmer weather during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer season will slow the spread of the virus and discussions are underway about emergency use of a vaccine to help the poultry industry recover,” he added.
Visit Influenza.news for more stories about bird flu and its impact on the food supply. Watch this video about South Africa culling 7.5 million chickens to contain bird flu. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
- Timeline: World history of viral pandemics: 412BC to 2009.
- New bird flu passes to mammals and causes “zombie-like” behavior – infected animals have no fear of humans.
- Bird flu and food inflation push turkey prices 73% higher than last year.
- Bird flu outbreak strikes bird population in Britain.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
