More than two years after the highly pathogenic bird flu epidemic, South Korea has culled 400,000 chickens and ducks – warning! -CnBeta.COM

With the arrival of winter, the avian flu epidemic is showing an increasing trend in many parts of the world. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Food said yesterday (28) that a meat duck farm in Jeongeup city, Jeollabuk-do, southwest of Seoul, had the first poultry infection in eastern South Korea. year, and has been diagnosed as highly pathogenic. This is also the first time in 2 years and 8 months that a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak has reoccurred on farms in South Korea.

△ Video of the CCTV Finance column “Tianxia Finance”

The city of Jeongeup in Jeollabuk-do, in southwestern South Korea, is about a three-hour drive from Seoul. Checkpoints have been set up around the farm where highly pathogenic bird flu has occurred, and outsiders and vehicles are strictly prohibited from entering. A total of 19,000 ducks were raised on this farm, two days ago they were tested for the avian influenza virus and later diagnosed with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8. Currently, the staff is carrying out the preventive slaughter and dumping of about 400,000 chickens and ducks on seven farms within a 3-kilometer radius of the duck meat farm.

Southwest South Korea, where the city of Jeongeup is located, is the largest duck breeding base in South Korea. During the visit, the reporter learned that farms in Jeongeup city supply duck meat processing companies in many places in Korea. To prevent the spread of the epidemic to other areas, the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Food yesterday issued a month-long ban on the movement of more than 60 farms in the city of Jeongeup, banning the shipment of more than 2.6 million poultry. Not only that, South Korean poultry farms have also received a 48-hour movement ban. From early morning yesterday to midnight today, all poultry, facilities and vehicles on farms are prohibited from moving and are checked and disinfected.

Due to the strong spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the high mortality rate, South Korea also raised the alert level of the avian influenza crisis yesterday from the intermediate level of “attention” to the highest level of “serious”. . The market will be regulated. For example, South Korea temporarily banned the sale of live chickens and ducks in vegetable markets across the country and had to suspend trade and disinfection every Wednesday. Some consumers are already concerned that it will affect the supply of chicken, duck, meat and eggs, and increase the pressure of the increase in prices by the end of the year.

In response to possible panic in society, South Korean experts said that it is not easy for the virus to enter the farm from wild birds, but once it enters the farm, it will spread rapidly within the poultry, so we must be vigilant. Korea’s epidemic prevention department recommends that farmers try not to go to rivers, streams and other places where wild birds like to dwell, and ordinary people should avoid touching wild birds.