Bird Flu Seen as Spreading to S. Jeolla Province

Another suspected case of avian influenza has been reported on a farm in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province.

This follows the country’s fourth outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, and three other cases of duck deaths, showing bird flu is spreading throughout the Jeolla provinces.

The Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and quarantine authorities announced Wednesday that they found 80 dead chickens suspected of being contaminated with avian influenza on a farm in Yeongam County. The chickens were sent to the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service for a closer examination.

On the Yeongam farm from Tuesday morning, 17,800 chickens raised for breeding had begun to show symptoms of avian influenza such as respiratory disease, facialedema, and abiotrophy.

South Jeolla has accordingly banned the transfer of chickens and vehicles and disinfected vehicles, while looking for symptoms in the remaining chickens.

The ministry announced Wednesday that avian influenza killed ducks in the town of Yeongwon near Jeongeup.

The number of farms where avian influenza has been confirmed is four: one in Gimje, North Jeolla Province (confirmed Friday); the town of Yeongwon (Monday), the town of Gobu (Tuesday); and Yeongwon again.

North Jeolla is closely examining suspected avian influenza cases at three duck farms: one 2.9 kilometers away from the farm in Yeongwon and two farms two kilometers and 14.3 kilometers away from the farm in Gobu, the site of the third case of avian influenza.

The culling range in Yeongwon and Gobu has been expanded from a radius of 500 meters to three kilometers. Another 150,000 ducks will be culled in nine newly included farms, as the farms are adjacent to the places where bird flu broke out.

The ministry said 524,000 chickens and ducks and 23.3 million eggs have been culled and that the estimated compensation is 7.5 billion won as of Wednesday afternoon.