Govt Confirms Virulent Bird Flu Strain Killed Ducks in Jeongeup

The South Korean government said Monday that a virulent bird flu strain caused the death of ducks at a farm in Jeongeup in the southwestern part of the country.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said detailed tests conducted on ducks from the farm 268 kilometers south of Seoul confirmed the existence of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has affected humans in the past.

It said that in accordance with standing emergency procedures all birds at the family-run farm have been culled and buried along with meat and ducks from 30,000 birds held at a butchering facility in Naju, 60 kilometers south of Jeongeup.

"The incident in Jeongeup is a source of concern because the owner did not report the outbreak until 6,500 birds were sent to the Naju butchering facility," said Kim Chang-seob, chief veterinary officer at the ministry.

He said because of risks of contamination, the Naju butchering facility has been closed and the use of the five trucks used to transport birds has been halted.

"All 13 poultry farms visited by the trucks and farms within a one kilometer radius of roads used by these vehicles have been put under close observation with blood samples taken to check for infection," the official said.

This is the second confirmed outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu this year. The first confirmed report was on the egg farm in Gimje, which is about 27 kilometers north of Jeongeup.

The ministry, meanwhile, said it is investigating a report from a poultry farm in Gobu where ducks been reported dying since Saturday.

This farm, located just 4.5 kilometers away from a duck farm in Jeongeup has been rearing 18,000 birds, it added.

The central government has sent 10 billion won ($10.2 million) to regional administrators to compensate farmers, with payment to be given for both birds and eggs that have been destroyed.

The case in Gobu brought the number of farms, which have confirmed or suspected outbreaks of bird flu, to four so far this year. The four, including those in Gimje, Jeongeup and Sunchang, are all in North Jeolla province in the country's southwest. Tests on the Sunchang duck farm, located 30 kilometers southeast of

Jeongeup, are underway with the results expected later this week.

A report filed by the owner of a chicken farm near Gimje on Sunday indicates that sickness at the farm resulted form the newcastle disease virus and not from avian influenza.

South Korea was hit by bird flu in the winters of 2003-2004 and 2006-2007, resulting in considerable loss of property and a sudden drop in demand for poultry.