High Pathogenic AI Alert Issued... Chungnam Responds to Large-Scale 'Cheolsae' Northward Migration

A mallard, a winter migratory bird, is flapping its wings. The photo is unrelated to the article. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province has issued a high pathogenic avian influenza (AI) risk advisory. This measure is in response to the large-scale northward migration of migratory birds expected to continue until the end of next month.

According to the province on the 26th, from February to March, approximately 858,000 migratory birds, mainly from the duck family such as geese and swans, will migrate north nationwide. It is also estimated that around 310,000 migratory birds typically inhabit migratory bird habitats within Chungnam during this period. This means that 36% of the migratory birds gather in Chungnam.

The issue is that there have been several recent cases of high pathogenic AI spreading via migratory birds.

For example, on October 21 of last year, the first nationwide detection of high pathogenic AI antigen in wild bird droppings was confirmed at Bonggangcheon in Cheonan, and since then, 13 sporadic cases of high pathogenic AI antigen have been detected across 8 cities and counties within Chungnam.

Recently, an H5 antigen was additionally detected at Geumgangho in Seocheon, and the Wildlife Disease Control Center is currently testing whether it is highly pathogenic.

Accordingly, the province plans to maintain the high pathogenic AI risk advisory until the end of next month while implementing special quarantine measures.

First, the province will require local poultry farms and livestock facility personnel to undergo disinfection at designated disinfection stations before entering farms or facilities, prohibit external vehicles from entering farms, disinfect the anterooms of livestock barns daily, apply slaked lime around barns, and encourage compliance with quarantine rules such as changing boots (through promotion).

Additionally, measures such as extending the restriction period on duck farming, focused management of parent stock farms, dense complexes, and large-scale laying hen farms, as well as purchasing and culling of small-scale farms, will be implemented.

In particular, the province will concentrate on barrier quarantine by mobilizing joint prevention teams and city/county disinfection vehicles to disinfect access roads to poultry farms and surrounding roads near representative migratory bird habitats such as Yedang Reservoir, midstream of the Geum River, Ganwolho, and Janghang Coast.

Im Seung-beom, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, said, “March is the time to recognize that the virus is spread throughout all environments outside the barns and to focus on farm-level barrier quarantine.” He added, “Poultry farmers are urged to conduct thorough farm-wide disinfection daily between 2 and 3 p.m., control access, change boots, and strictly adhere to quarantine rules.”

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