Sunday 22/March/2026 – 11:38 AM
South Korea has confirmed a new case of highly pathogenic bird flu at a poultry farm, bringing the total number of cases this season to 60, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Increase in bird flu infections
The H5 strain was reported at a duck farm in Jangsu County in North Jeolla Province, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters.
Authorities said they are currently controlling access to the farm, are culling about 12,000 birds, and are investigating the case.
Spread of bird flu
The authorities added that an order was issued to stop work for 24 hours in the areas adjacent to the farm, while the government ordered a special inspection of poultry farms across the country this month to prevent the spread of the disease further as the bird migration season approaches at the end of winter.
Earlier, authorities in southern India ordered the extermination of more than 20,000 birds after an outbreak of bird flu in Kerala, according to Xinhua.
The measures are in place in Kozhikode and Alappuzha districts, where cases of the disease have been confirmed, while officials confirmed that about 14,228 birds in Kozhikode and 5,961 in Alappuzha will be culled as part of efforts to contain the spread.
The outbreak was confirmed after samples tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
Extermination operations are scheduled to begin, with rapid response teams working within a one-kilometer radius of the affected areas.
