SEOUL: South Korea's government confirmed a new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Cheonan, continuing a series of similar infections across the nation. This announcement was made on Sunday, adding to the growing concern over the spread of the disease.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the highly pathogenic H5 strain of the virus was detected on Saturday at a farm in Cheonan, located 85 kilometers south of Seoul. The farm is currently raising about 239,000 chickens. This latest case increases the total number of highly pathogenic bird flu cases reported at local farms this winter to 27. The first case of the season was reported in December, following an eight-month period without any infections.
In response to this outbreak, health authorities have cordoned off the affected farm and are taking strict quarantine measures. Additionally, a standstill order for poultry farms was issued for 24 hours through 1 p.m. on Sunday, as part of the ministry's efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.
The recurrence of avian influenza cases highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the poultry industry and health officials in South Korea in managing and containing such outbreaks.