JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Losses to South Africa's poultry industry from the avian flu outbreak are estimated to be in the billions of rand, Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of the South African Poultry Association, said on Monday.

       "We've been getting negative test results, but we can't declare we are free of the outbreak yet; it may take up to six to 12 months to replace the flock we've lost," Breitenbach told Xinhua in an interview.

       Three and a half million broiler breeders perished as the result of the avian flu epidemic, he said, noting that the H7 avian flu vaccine is being developed, while the H5 vaccine has already been obtained.

       South Africa reported the first avian flu cases in commercial farms in April 2023 in Western Cape Province, which were later detected in the provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Free State.

       Although more than 150 million hatching eggs have been imported into South Africa, importing table eggs is not practical in the long run as it is logistically unfeasible, he said.

       Consumers in the country have been negatively impacted by the avian flu since it increased the cost of chicken meat and eggs. The skyrocketing cost of chicken and eggs has contributed to food inflation, according to Statistics South Africa.