Sejong Strengthens Public-Private Quarantine Measures Against Highly Pathogenic AI

AI disinfection activities are underway along a riverbank in Cheonan, Chungnam. Photo is unrelated to the article. Source=Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy (Sejong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Sejong City is strengthening public-private quarantine activities to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).

The Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory of the City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 16th that it held a regional surveillance council for livestock infectious diseases in the second half of this year to discuss measures to strengthen the public-private quarantine system to block the inflow of disaster-type livestock infectious diseases.

The council is a public-private consultative body composed of related quarantine agencies, livestock organizations, and livestock experts, with 27 professional members participating.

The council meeting was held non-face-to-face from the 8th to the 11th in accordance with social distancing guidelines due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and opinions from council members were collected in writing and the discussion results were shared on the 14th.

First, the council focused its discussion on measures to prevent the inflow of the virus into the jurisdiction, noting that highly pathogenic (H5N8) AI has been sporadically detected recently in poultry farms and wild bird droppings nationwide.

In particular, at this meeting, the council urged local livestock farms to strengthen disinfection of livestock vehicles, which are considered the main transmission factor for the spread of avian influenza.

Also, since the Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory was designated as a precise diagnostic institution for avian influenza testing by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency this year, it plans to ensure thorough and prompt diagnostic work upon reporting suspected AI cases.

Yoon Chang-hee, head of the Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory, said, “Sejong has blocked the occurrence of disaster-type livestock diseases at the source over the past three years through joint efforts of the public and private sectors. This year as well, we will do our utmost to prevent infectious diseases from entering the region by strengthening barrier quarantine such as cleaning, disinfection, and controlling outsiders and vehicles.”

Meanwhile, sporadic confirmed cases of highly pathogenic AI were reported the day before in Cheonan, Chungnam; Gumi, Gyeongbuk; and Imsil, Jeonbuk.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.