20,000 ducks destroyed over bird flu

By Kim Da-ye

More than 20,000 ducks were culled at a poultry farm in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, Friday after the first outbreak of avian influenza in the nation since 2012 was confirmed.

After analyzing blood serum from the ducks, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency confirmed that the virus was the highly pathogenic H5N8. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to impose intensive quarantine measures including a lockdown of all poultry farms in the affected areas.

Another farm in Buan in the same province that breeds ducks for consumption also reported an outbreak Friday. The agriculture ministry said that some 90 ducks have already died, showing suspected symptoms of avian influenza.

The duck farm in Gochang, about 300 kilometers southwest of Seoul, has supplied some 173,000 ducklings to 24 farms across the country, according to officials from the provincial government, raising fears that the outbreak could become widespread.

No symptoms were found among the duckling transported to the 24 farms, Friday, although investigations have been slowed due to restricted travel, officials said.

The breeding farm reported Thursday that its birds seemed to be exhibiting symptoms of avian influenza, including slowed egg production.

As soon as the government confirmed the outbreak, it immediately launched preventive measures, including the cull, while banning people from entering 13 nearby farms in the province. The slaughtered ducks were wrapped in special-purpose plastic sheets and buried in a pit on the farm.

The Gochang farm’s ducklings were distributed to 16 farms in North Chungcheong Province, three in South Chungcheong Province, two in Gyeonggi Province and three in North Jeolla Province, according to officials.

The quarantine agency is examining the blood serum of these ducklings as well, and the results are expected today.

The provincial government is trying to find out the causes of the outbreaks, suspecting that migratory birds might have spread the virus. The last case of highly transmissible avian influenza in Korea was reported in May 2011.