Bird-brained?

IRATE South Africans are protesting theEuropean Union (EU) ban on theirostrich meat and live birds followingan outbreak of Congo fever. The EUban came into effect after an abattoirworker died recently and 16 others wereinfected with the fever in Oudtshoorn, atown close to South Africa's ostrichindustry.

What has left the South Africansfuming is the fact that while the diseasehas been detected in one area, the Eu ban would apply to the whole c6untry andcould put a question mark on ostrichmeat exports. The country supplies80 per cent of the global demand forostrich meat. EU officials state thatthe ban is temporary and will continueuntil the cause of the disease isinvestigated.

The Congo fever, transmitted byticks, causes severe internal bleedingand is fatal in a third of the cases. Healthofficials state that this is the first timethat ostriches have been considered ascarriers of ticks, thereby transmittingthe disease to humans through ostrichmeat.