SEOUL: South Korea's government reported two additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at chicken farms on Wednesday, marking a continued increase in infections across the country.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the new cases involve an H5N1 AI strain. One outbreak occurred at a poultry farm in Iksan, a city in the southwestern part of the country, which housed approximately 130,000 chickens. The second case was confirmed at a nearby farm, raising about 75,000 chickens. These latest incidents have brought the total number of AI cases in South Korea this winter season to ten.
This upsurge in avian influenza cases follows an eight-month period without any reports, with the season's first case having been confirmed last Sunday. In response to the outbreaks, health authorities have taken immediate action by cordoning off the affected farms and implementing strict quarantine measures, including the culling of all chickens at these locations.
Furthermore, the ministry has issued a 36-hour standstill order, effective through 10 p.m. Thursday. This measure is part of the government's efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus and to contain the current outbreaks effectively.