JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The avian flu outbreak in South Africa has led to the culling of more than 5 million egg-laying chickens so far this year in the country, the South African Poultry Association said Tuesday.
The avian flu virus outbreak was threatening South Africa's poultry industry, and as a result, it is believed that the cost of chickens and eggs will go up, said Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of the association.
Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Free State were the worst affected provinces, according to Breitenbach.
South Africa reported the first bird flu cases in commercial farms in April in the Western Cape Province, according to the association.
"We are seeing a shortage of eggs already," Breitenbach said, adding that the local industry would be importing 10 million eggs to meet the rising demand soon. ■
