Second Bird Flu Outbreak Checked in Seoul

The government said it found a new case of bird flu in Seoul Sunday, less than a week after the highly virulent form of bird flu struck the capital.

Over 8,000 ducks and chickens were immediately culled at an illegally-run farm in Songpa District, the Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said. Those affected reportedly tested positive for the H5 strain, and whether it is a highly virulent form will be confirmed on Monday.

The outbreak comes after the virus found at an aviary in Gwangjin, eastern Seoul, was confirmed to be deadly to humans, last Monday. No human infection has yet been reported in Seoul, home to about 10 million people, or anywhere else in the country.

Quarantine officials said the two outbreaks trace back to the same traditional market in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The government recently announced it would ban the trade of live chickens and ducks at traditional markets often characterized by run-down, independent stalls selling low-priced merchandise.

About 15,000 birds are to be killed off in Seoul Sunday, and since the first bird flu outbreak of the year was reported last month in the country's southwestern region, the government has culled millions of birds and decontaminated numerous poultry farms, vehicles and traditional markets.

Nonetheless, the disease spread to Seoul last week, with the cities of Ulsan and Daegu also being affected. The quarantine officials confirmed on Sunday that the disease detected on a farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, tested positive for highly virulent H5N1 strain, leaving only Jeju Island a safe zone from the disease nationwide.

Some fear the virus, which usually spreads from birds to humans, could mutate into a form easily transmissible between people, triggering a deadly global pandemic. About 240 people have reportedly died from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain around the world after coming in contact with infected poultry.

However, health experts say the odds that humans can contract the disease are very unlikely. Cooking the meat at 75 degrees Celsius or higher for more than five minutes will kill the infection.

Also, Prof. Kim Jae-hong of Seoul National University said there is little chance that people will get infected by simply passing by or being in the same open area as infected poultry. ``If one avoids contact with such poultries' excrements and refrains from eating raw meats or eggs, I don't think people will be easily infected,'' he said.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr