(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = The Central Disaster Management Headquarters for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) announced on the 18th that HPAI has occurred in a laying hen farm in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
This is the 7th case of HPAI confirmed in poultry farms during the 2025-2026 winter season. Regionally, there have been 4 cases in Gyeonggi, 1 in North Chungcheong, and 1 in Gwangju, with 3 cases occurring in laying hen farms in the Hwaseong-Pyeongtaek region.
Upon detecting the H5 antigen in the farm, the Central Headquarters deployed an initial response team to implement measures such as access control, culling, and epidemiological investigation.
To prevent the spread of HPAI, a 24-hour movement restriction order was issued for laying hen-related farms, livestock facilities, and livestock vehicles in Pyeongtaek City and adjacent areas in Cheonan and Asan, South Chungcheong Province.
Considering the expected deterioration of disinfection and prevention conditions due to the drop in temperature and the forecast of nationwide snowfall over the next four days, the Central Headquarters issued a "Heavy Snow and Cold Wave Warning for HPAI Risk" for poultry farms across the country from the 2nd to the 12th and promoted preventive measures.
To prevent the occurrence of HPAI in concentrated laying hen farming complexes, the inspection cycle for 12 nationwide concentrated farming complexes will be shortened from once every two weeks to once a week until the 17th.
Additionally, measures will be taken to minimize the overlapping movement of livestock vehicles in large-scale laying hen farms and concentrated complexes with over 100,000 birds, with a particular focus on checking compliance with the administrative order prohibiting the entry of egg transport vehicles into farms.
Furthermore, concentrated disinfection will be conducted twice daily at bird migration sites, poultry farms, and livestock facilities and vehicles.