‘Highly Pathogenic AI’ Spreads... Livestock Farms on High Alert as Hadong Becomes Second Confirmed Case in Gyeongnam

28,508 Ducks and Chickens Culled

Jeong Yeonsang, Director of Agricultural Policy Bureau of Gyeongnam Province (fourth from the left), and others are inspecting a farm confirmed with highly pathogenic avian influenza in Okjong-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam Province.
[Image source=Gyeongsangnam-do]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] On the 21st, livestock in Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, suspected of being infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), was finally confirmed positive.

According to Gyeongsangnam-do on the 23rd, livestock at a meat duck farm in Okjong-myeon, Hadong-gun, was confirmed positive for the H5N1 strain after a final detailed examination the previous day.

This is the second occurrence in the province this winter, following a meat duck farm in Sugok-myeon, Jinju on the 21st.

Hadong has experienced its fourth outbreak since the first occurrence in February 2017, with previous cases in January 2021 and February 2022.

Earlier, on the 21st, as soon as sick livestock suspected of highly pathogenic AI were identified, Gyeongnam Province deployed an initial quarantine team to the farm to control movement and simultaneously disinfected both inside and outside the livestock barns as well as nearby roads.

Movement control posts have been installed at the entrance of the affected farm and major access roads to restrict entry of people and vehicles.

Within a 10 km quarantine zone around the AI outbreak farm, movement of approximately 850,000 poultry raised at 341 farms has been restricted, and emergency surveillance confirmed no abnormal signs.

From 9 PM on the same day, a 24-hour standstill order was issued for all layer hen and meat duck farms, related facilities, and affiliated farms in the province.

To prevent further spread, 28,500 meat ducks at the AI outbreak farm and 8 chickens at a small-scale chicken farm within 500 meters of the outbreak site were preemptively culled, and carcasses were disposed of using mobile thermal processing (rendering).

On the 22nd, a countermeasure meeting was held with livestock quarantine officers from Geochang-gun, which has the largest number of meat duck farms in the province, as well as from Yangsan-si and Gimhae-si, past outbreak areas, to minimize AI damage.

The province is conducting an epidemiological investigation jointly with the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency and the Gyeongnam Animal Health Laboratory to accurately determine the cause of the outbreak.

During the epidemiological investigation, movement restrictions and disinfection measures will be applied to poultry farms and related facilities associated with the outbreak farm.

Jung Yeonsang, Director of the Agricultural Policy Bureau, stated, “If suspicious symptoms such as increased mortality or decreased egg production are observed, immediate reporting is necessary to enable prompt initial response and prevent further spread.” He added, “Poultry farms should conduct thorough daily surveillance of their poultry, prohibit free-range farming near small reservoirs or rivers where wild migratory birds can easily access, and ensure strict disinfection.”

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