FOUR PAWS South Africa on avian influenza surges - Mass Killings Are Mere Symptom Control

Cape Town, 12 November 2025 – South Africa is still facing the devastating consequences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), with outbreaks affecting both poultry, including ostriches and wild birds, including the critically endangered African Penguin. In 2017, the first case of HPAI was confirmed in commercial chickens in South Africa, prompting urgent biosecurity measures and conservation responses. After several subsequent outbreaks, most recently, a new outbreak of H5N1 was detected in South Africa on 23 June 2025.

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) has confirmed over 1,000 suspected cases in wild seabirds, with confirmed infections in African Penguins, Hartlaub’s Gulls, Great White Pelicans and other species. The outbreak poses a serious threat to biodiversity, echoing the global crisis unfolding in regions such as the United States, Japan and Europe.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s poultry sector remains on high alert to prevent further financial losses following the mass culling of tens of millions of birds. Despite improved biosecurity measures, outbreaks persist. In June 2025, the Department of Agriculture issued the first poultry vaccination permit as a measure to minimise the risk of HPAI outbreaks, the efficacy of which is still to be seen.

“Despite the issuance of vaccination permits, the reality is that factory farming and fur farming create the perfect storm for disease transmission. Overcrowded, unhygienic, stressful conditions accelerate the spread and mutation of viruses like HPAI. We need to rethink our food systems and prioritise animal welfare if we are serious about pandemic prevention,” says Fiona Miles, Director of FOUR PAWS South Africa.

Data indicates that the intensification of farming since 1940 has been linked to more than half of all zoonotic diseases in humans. FOUR PAWS calls for a transition to smaller farms with higher welfare standards and the end of fur farming, to reduce disease risks and animal suffering. While biosecurity, movement control, and vaccination are important tools, they do not address the root causes.  The organisation urges the South African government to ratify and implement the Pandemic Agreement, which embraces the One Health approach, recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.

“The African Penguin is already on the brink of extinction. The spread of HPAI adds another layer of urgency to animal welfare efforts,” adds Miles. “We must act now, not just to contain the virus, but to prevent future outbreaks by transforming how we treat animals in our society.”

FOUR PAWS continues to advocate for preventive, systemic change and encourages the public to report sick or dead birds to local authorities and rehabilitation centres such as SANCCOB, while avoiding direct contact.

For more information, visit our website https://four-paws.org.za