(LEAD) S. Korea confirms another case of highly pathogenic bird flu

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By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic bird flu in poultry Wednesday, bringing the total caseload to 85.

The latest case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from a duck farm in Chungju, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.

The farm was raising 7,000 birds. All poultry within a 3-kilometer radius of the infected farm were culled, officials said.

The country has now confirmed a total of 85 cases of highly pathogenic bird flu linked to fowl farms since late November, when it reported the first such case in nearly three years.

Amid the spread of the avian influenza, the local consumer price of eggs spiked 42.4 percent over the past week from a year earlier. Those of chicken and duck meat also shot up 15.6 percent and 38.5 percent, respectively, the data showed.

The country plans to release 20 million units of imported fresh eggs ahead of the Lunar New Year's holiday slated for next week. The government has recently decided to import a total of 50,000 tons of fresh eggs and seven other types of egg products without tariffs until June 30.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said earlier in the day the country will import some 24 million eggs after the Lunar New Year's holiday.

Cases from wild birds also continued to pile up to reach 129.

South Korea identified a whopping 340 cases of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza traced to poultry farms during the previous wave, which ran from October 2016 to January 2017.

colin@yna.co.kr
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