Two ostrich farms in the Heidelberg area of the Western Cape have been placed under quarantine as authorities work to determine the possibility of an outbreak of the now widely-spread H5N8 avian influenza.
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is leading the investigations to confirm if the highly pathogenic avian influenza has infected the birds on the farms, with strict quarantine measures in place.
Some 13 outbreaks have been reported since the avian flu first hit South African soil in June.
This involved seven commercial chicken farms, two groups of backyard chickens, three sets of wild birds and one group of domestic geese.
However, ostrich and chicken meat on sale in retail outlets remain safe for human consumption, the Western Cape government assured in a release issued on Monday.