Korea reports 1st highly pathogenic bird flu case for this year
Quarantine officials work at a poultry farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 9, 2024. Newsis
Korea reported its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza for this year, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and step up quarantine measures, authorities said Saturday.
The case was found at a poultry farm in Paju, north of Seoul, and authorities were carrying out quarantine measures, including access restrictions, culling and epidemiological investigations, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
It is the first case detected for this season, coming earlier than in recent years where outbreaks have typically occurred in October or November.
The authorities raised the alert level from "attention" to "caution."
Authorities will inspect chicken farms in Gyeonggi Province, where Paju is located, as well as poultry vendors at traditional markets and livestock transport vehicles nationwide to check disinfection and quarantine measures, the ministry said.