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Suspected bird flu case found in S.Korea
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-12-22 16:40 A suspected case of the
milder bird influenza virus has been found at a duck farm in Gwangju, some 330
kilometers south to Seoul, South Korean Yonhap News Agency quoted an official of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as reporting on Wednesday.
The quarantine authorities found the H5N2 strain of avian influenza on Dec. 1
when they inspected the farm in the South Korean city, according to Kim
Chang-seob, the director of the ministry's animal health division.
This marked the first time for the H5N2 virus, known to be lessvirulent than
the H5N1 strain that swept through South Korea and other Asian countries and
areas in late 2003 and early 2004, to appear in South Korea.
"We have a strict standard operating procedure for such developments and have
ordered all 9,000 ducks at the farm to be destroyed even if the H5N2 is verified
as a 'weaker' strain," saidKim Chang-seob.
He said the H5N2 strain has never spread to humans and must be differentiated
from the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that hit the poultry
raising industry of Asia last year.
He added that preliminary tests on eggs from the farm have indicated that the
H5N2 has not mutated into a virulent variety. Kim said the final conclusive DNA
test will be released Thursday and the results will be informed to its trading
partners.
The chief veterinary officer said that a quarantine area has been set up
around the infected farm to prevent possible spread and inspectors are checking
nearby duck farms for possible contamination.
The South Korean government has conducted tough inspections of all duck and
chicken farms since Nov. 1 and will continue to do sountil the end of February.
This period is deemed as dangerous because migratory birds arrive in the country
and spread disease in the period.
South Korea reported 19 cases of the HPAI from December 2003 to March 2004,
but no South Korean people has been founded infected with such influenza up to
now.
The local poultry raising industry and related chicken meat industry has
suffered some 1 trillion won (946.9 million US dollars) loss because of the
influenza.
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