Gyeongnam Province: "Movement Restrictions Lifted in High-Pathogenic AI Outbreak Areas, But Caution Is Still Needed"

Scheduled Comprehensive Inspection to Remove Residual Contaminants in Surrounding Areas

Movement restrictions on farms related to highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) that occurred in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, were fully lifted on the 15th.

According to Gyeongnam Province on the 16th, highly pathogenic AI occurred at a laying hen farm in Gimhae on January 1, and movement restrictions were imposed on the farm's quarantine zone.

The province announced that 30 days had passed since the completion of the step-by-step cleaning, washing, and disinfection procedures for the affected farm, and that all 1,500 poultry farms within the 10 km quarantine zone tested negative, leading to the decision to lift the restrictions.

A truck from the Gyeongnam Livestock Promotion Research Institute is disinfecting the area around the outbreak site carrying a wide-area sprayer.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

For Jinju, where AI occurred on December 12 last year, and Hadong, where it occurred on December 21 of the same month, no abnormalities were found in tests conducted on 429 poultry farms within the quarantine zones, and the quarantine measures were lifted on March 7.

It took 86 days for Jinju, the first outbreak site, 77 days for Hadong, and 74 days for Gimhae to lift the quarantine zones.

With Gimhae being the last, all movement restrictions in the province related to highly pathogenic AI outbreak areas were lifted 94 days after the first outbreak date.

Accordingly, poultry farms and livestock-related facilities within the quarantine zones, as well as visitors, vehicles, livestock, and products, can now move without separate approval from city or county authorities.

During last winter, the province urgently culled 316,000 poultry due to three cases of highly pathogenic AI outbreaks.

A 10 km radius around the outbreak sites was designated as a quarantine zone, where movement restrictions, disinfection, quarantine inspections, and detailed tests on livestock and their products were conducted.

A quarantine staff member is collecting samples for a detailed inspection to lift the high pathogenic AI quarantine zone.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

A provincial official stated, “Although quarantine measures at the outbreak sites have all been lifted, the risk of occurrence remains due to the late northward migration of migratory birds, increased movement, and recent outbreaks in other provinces,” urging caution.

The province plans to extend the special quarantine period until the end of March, maintaining strengthened quarantine measures such as ▲24-hour operation of key disinfection facilities ▲constant disinfection of dense complexes and vulnerable areas ▲mass testing of poultry farms.

From the 20th to the 28th, a mass inspection will be conducted targeting 239 locations including poultry farms, traditional market poultry sales outlets, holding yards, and transport vehicles within the province to remove residual contamination sources.

Kang Gwang-sik, head of the Animal Quarantine Division, said, “Thanks to prompt initial quarantine measures and cooperation from residents and poultry farms, the outbreak was limited to three cases without further spread, but if highly pathogenic AI spreads, it could cause not only damage to farms but also social and economic impacts such as rising livestock product prices and reduced consumption.”

He emphasized, “The virus remaining in the surrounding environment can enter farms with weak quarantine at any time. It is essential for farms to regularly check disinfection inside and outside the barns, control access of outsiders and vehicles, and strictly follow quarantine rules as the core of blocking quarantine.”

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