South Korea: Signs of nationwide spread of AI that started earlier than in previous years

(National Comprehensive = Yonhap News) Reporter Shim Gyu-seok = Avian influenza (AI) that occurred in Korea in the middle of last month is sweeping the central region. The outbreak of the virus comes nearly a month earlier than in previous years, and the number of migratory birds, which are considered sources of infection, is on the rise, putting the quarantine authorities on high alert. There is also a possibility that AI will spread rapidly in that migratory birds that stayed in the central region will spread to the southern region at the end of this month when the temperature drops below freezing. ◇ Confirmation of 12 places in the central region in one month... add 1 suspect It was on the 19th of last month when AI was first confirmed in a domestic poultry farm this fall. A highly pathogenic H5N1 virus was detected at a duck farm in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, and 9,800 ducks were culled. Three days later, the infection was confirmed at a broiler breeder farm in the ...