(Andong=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seung-hyeong = In anticipation of the Lunar New Year holiday, as highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) and African swine fever (ASF) have consecutively occurred in Gyeongbuk Province, the province activated a 24-hour emergency quarantine system to prevent the spread. According to Gyeongbuk Province on the 13th, African swine fever occurred at a pig farm in Gimcheon (2,759 pigs) the previous day. This is the first occurrence of African swine fever in the province since August 2024. Additionally, highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred at a laying hen farm in Bonghwa on the 6th and 12th, and at a broiler duck farm in Seongju on the 10th. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has not occurred in the province for about a year since January 2025. In response, the province is slaughtering pigs and laying hens at the affected farms and has immediately activated special quarantine measures for livestock infectious diseases to prevent the spread. Twenty-one dedicated officials from the provincial government's agricultural distribution office were urgently organized to strengthen inspections of key quarantine sites, including municipal control rooms, livestock farms, and central disinfection facilities. The policy is to prevent risk factors in advance through thorough on-site quarantine management. Additionally, the days of the 13th, 19th, and 20th have been designated as mass disinfection days to focus on disinfecting vulnerable facilities such as livestock farms, feed factories, and slaughterhouses. During the Lunar New Year holiday, a 24-hour livestock infectious disease quarantine control room will be operated, and an emergency work system will be activated. To ensure rapid response upon the reporting of an outbreak, the operating system with related agencies' control rooms has also been strengthened. Livestock farmers are being promoted to report immediately upon finding even minor clinical symptoms. The province is requesting that livestock farmers adhere to basic quarantine measures such as controlling the entry and exit of people and vehicles, disinfecting entry vehicles, and wearing dedicated clothing, boots, and gloves for workers, and asking visitors returning home for the holidays to refrain from visiting livestock farms. Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province said, "We will do our best to prevent the spread of the virus with emergency quarantine measures and special quarantine plans for affected farms," and "With the mindset of 'I protect my farm,' thoroughly follow disinfection and quarantine measures and immediately report even minor clinical symptoms to the municipal government or animal hygiene testing center."