DONGA
24/11/2006
In a poultry farm located in Iksan City, North Jeolla Province, about 6,000 chickens were found dead and the cause is suspected to be Avian Influenza (AI). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is presuming that the highly pathogenic AI virus that can be infectious to people as well may be the cause of the deaths.
According to an announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on November 23, 6,000 out of 13,000 chickens that were being raised in a farm located in Hamyeol-eup, Iksan City, North Jeolla Province have been killed during the last four days since November 19.
After collecting and examining five dead birds, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service reported that it is very likely that the cause could be a highly pathogenic AI virus.
In Korea, an AI epidemic broke out in December 2003, inflicting severe damage on chicken and duck farmers.
Kim Chang-seop, head of the Animal Health Division in the MAF, said, "Our final diagnosis on whether it is a highly pathogenic AI is to come late on the night of the 25th. We slaughtered and buried the 6,000 chickens from the farm and embarked on an epidemiologic investigation of the farms within a 10km radius from the farm."
