South Korea is on red alert for a bird flu outbreak, following reports of contamination in a duck farm.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has reported that a duck farm in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, is suspected to have been contaminated by the H5N1 avian influenza (AI) virus.
Tests were made to confirm the outbreak and know the exact strain of the virus but the provincial government of North Jeolla has taken preemptive measures prior to the results by ordering the culling of more than 20,000 ducks at the farm. Twenty four other poultry farms that recently bought ducks from the infected farm were also quarantined. On Friday night, South Korea has confirmed that the case is an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu and authorities are expanding the cull to a radius of three kilometers around the farm.
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency has also found a flock of about 1,000 migratory birds dead in a reservoir and has begun an investigation for a possible link to the outbreak in Gochang duck farm. Authorities said that if the case is found to be avian flu, it would be the first case of the virus in migratory birds in South Korea.
The Agriculture Ministry also reported of another case of farm ducks that were likely infected with bird flu virus in Buan village in the same North Jeolla Province and has ordered the culling of some 6,500 farm ducks as a preventive measure.
To date, nearly 100,000 poultry have been culled in the southwestern part of South Korea. The government, which has indicated that more will be culled if necessary, has issued measures to contain the bird flu outbreak ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays in the country, including setting up movement control posts across the country to limit transportation of farm poultry.
Authorities have ordered an investigation for links in the three cases. "An investigation is under way to find a possible connection among the infection cases in Gochang and Buan farms and in the wild," a ministry official said, hinting that the infected wild ducks might have spread the virus while flying over duck farms in the area. The official also said that around 150 disinfection and quarantine posts will be set up in the region to prevent further infection.
This is the first bird flu outbreak in South Korea since 2011, when more than six million poultry from more than 280 farms across the country were slaughtered. The government said it has not yet received any report of human being infected by the latest outbreak.
