AI Cases Confirmed Consecutively in Cheongju and Sunchang... Total of 7 Cases This Fall

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Three poultry farms in Cheongju, Chungbuk, and Sunchang, Jeonbuk, have been newly confirmed with highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI). This brings the total number of AI confirmed cases this fall to seven.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (AI) on the 5th, infections at a broiler farm and a meat duck farm in Cheongju, as well as a layer farm in Sunchang County, were all confirmed to be highly pathogenic (H5N1 type).

The poultry farm in Sunchang County is the first confirmed layer farm case this fall, where 154,800 laying hens were raised.

As AI confirmed cases have been occurring consecutively, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held a meeting on the same day to review the quarantine situation. Jung Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and head of the headquarters, stated, "Highly pathogenic AI has been occurring repeatedly at farms near migratory bird habitats, so there is a high possibility that the entire country is contaminated," and requested related ministries and local governments to "conduct intensive disinfection focusing on the riversides of major migratory bird habitats and access roads to surrounding farms."

The headquarters will conduct detailed inspections of poultry farms nationwide until the 9th and will check compliance with quarantine rules at farms vulnerable to infection until the 11th.

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