Gwangju City Strengthens Quarantine Measures Against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 29th that it has strengthened quarantine measures to the highest level to prevent the inflow of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), which is sporadically occurring nationwide.

Since the highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, on the 28th of last month after 2 years and 8 months, it has been continuously occurring in poultry farms nationwide including chickens, ducks, and quails, as well as in wild birds such as migratory birds. It has also been occurring in poultry farms and migratory bird habitats in the adjacent Jeonnam region of Gwangju, so all efforts are being made for blocking quarantine.

The Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory of the Health and Environment Research Institute has taken preemptive measures to enable early detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus by conducting about 2,900 AI tests on approximately 200 local poultry farms and 11 traditional markets.

In particular, immediate and rapid quarantine measures are being carried out for livestock facilities related to the epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks nationwide, and precise diagnostic tests are being conducted to thoroughly block the virus from entering the region.

Every week, disinfection is intensively conducted in high-risk areas such as around livestock barns and access roads targeting livestock-related facilities, and a special quarantine countermeasure situation room for livestock infectious diseases is operated to establish an emergency response system including temporary movement suspension orders and epidemiologically related farms.

Animal Quarantine Division Chief Bae Seong-yeol said, “Cooperation between quarantine agencies and livestock stakeholders is most important to protect valuable livestock from the disaster-type livestock infectious disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza,” and added, “Livestock farms are requested to strictly follow quarantine rules such as establishing a quicklime belt around the farm, daily cleaning and disinfection inside the farm, changing boots and hand sanitizing when entering the barn, and daily disinfection inside the barn. Citizens are also asked to cooperate by refraining from entering outbreak areas and migratory bird habitats.”

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