S. Korea confirms another highly pathogenic bird flu case at poultry farm

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at a duck farm in a southern county Saturday, putting quarantine authorities on high alert.

The latest case was reported at a duck meat farm in South Jeolla Province's Yeongam County, 308 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the provincial government.

It marks the third highly pathogenic AI case reported at a poultry house this year and the first such case confirmed in South Jeolla Province in three years.

Having blocked access to the affected farm and culled its ducks, local authorities plan to cull nearly 500,000 ducks and chickens in 10 nearby farms within a 3-kilometer radius as a precautionary measure, the regional government said.

The municipality also designated the areas within a 10-km radius of the infected farm, which house 44 duck and chicken farms, as a special zone subject to heightened quarantine.

Movement of poultry to and from poultry farms in South Jeolla Province has also been prohibited for 30 days.

Local quarantine authorities launched an epidemiological investigation into the affected area to trace the source of the latest AI case.

"The initial infection source (of the latest case) has yet to be found, as no report of suspected infection or symptoms has been filed by other farms in nearby areas" an official at the regional government said. "We elevated the quarantine level to the highest to curb the spread."

Since South Korea recorded the first outbreak of highly pathogenic AI in 32 months in late October in Cheonan, 92 km south of Seoul, more than 10 cases have been additionally confirmed, putting quarantine authorities on high alert against potential mass outbreaks.

pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)