High-path H5N6 Bird Flu Detected at South Jeolla Province Poultry Farms
SOUTH KOREA - Dr Oh Soon-Min, Director General, Chief Veterinary Officer at the Animal Health Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture has reported two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza at two farms located in South Jeolla Province.
3 January 2018
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By: According to the fifth follow-up report sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on 30 December 2017, the Korean veterinary authorities carried out a real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) test on the same date, confirming the presence of the H5N6 strain of the virus in ducks and broiler ducks.
The OIE reports that a total of 58000 birds showed signs of susceptibility, out of which 12 cases and deaths occured. The remaining 57988 ducks were killed and disposed of.
Some of the control measures applied to prevent further outbreaks include:
- Movement control inside the country,
- Surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone,
- Surveillance within containment and/or protection zone,
- Screening,
- Traceability,
- Quarantine,
- Official destruction of animal products,
- Official disposal of carcasses, by-products and waste,
- Stamping out,
- Control of wildlife reservoirs and
- Disinfection.
Vaccination has been prohibited and none of the affected birds received treatment.
While the source of the outbreaks remains unknown, there is an ongoing epidemiological investigation.
