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South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

South Korea Reports Second H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak in Three Days

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu was responsible for the deaths of about 200 chickens at a South Korean farm in a second outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in three days.

The farm, located in the southwestern city of Iksan, kept about 12,000 chickens about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from a farm where an H5N1 outbreak was confirmed Nov. 25, Kim Yang Il, a spokesman at South Korea's agriculture ministry, said over the telephone today.


Last Updated: November 28, 2006 00:57 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=aXv7_Db2z_tY&refer=healthcare
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

South Korea Reports Second H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak (Update1)
By Meeyoung Song
Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu killed about 200 chickens at a South Korean farm, the second outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza strain in three days, fueling concerns that the virus may be spreading in the country again after three years.
The farm, in the southwestern city of Iksan, housed about 12,000 fowl about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from a farm where an H5N1 outbreak was confirmed Nov. 25, Kim Yang Il, a spokesman at South Korea's agriculture ministry, said over the phone today.
The infections are the first in South Korea, Asia's second- biggest corn importer, since an initial H5N1 outbreak in December 2003. That prompted the slaughter within four months of about 5.3 million poultry, worth 150 billion won ($161 million).
Disease trackers are monitoring H5N1, which threatens to mutate into a form that's easily spread among humans. It is has infected at least 258 people in 10 countries during the past three years, killing 153 of them, the World Health Organization said on Nov. 13.
No human H5N1 cases have been reported in South Korea, according to the Geneva-based WHO.
After the outbreak was confirmed at the weekend, government officials slaughtered 236,000 animals on surrounding properties to contain the virus's spread.
Almost all human H5N1 cases have been linked to close contact with sick or dead birds, such as children playing with them or adults butchering them or plucking feathers. While the virus doesn't spread easily between people, some human-to-human transmission may have occurred, according to the WHO.
To contact the reporter on this story: Meeyoung Song in Seoul at msong2@bloomberg.net .

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aHAA9_XDiMBA&refer=japan
Last Updated: November 28, 2006 01:44 EST
 
Last edited:
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=466 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right width=233>2006/11/28 15:55 KST </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
x.gif

(LEAD) S. Korea confirms second highly pathogenic bird flu case SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean officials said Tuesday they had discovered a second case of the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (AI) on a poultry farm in the southern part of the country.

The confirmation came after the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Saturday it had confirmed the country's first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain in three years on a poultry farm in Iksan, about 230 kilometers south of Seoul.

The latest case was found on a farm about 3 kilometers from the first outbreak site, the ministry said.

"Officials reported a suspected case of AI late Monday on the farm," said the ministry. "Test results showed the strain was highly pathogenic."
Quarantine officials were working to confirm if the latest outbreak was the H5N1 strain, which can be fatal to humans, it added.

They were also conducting epidemiological studies on a possible connection between the two farms, the ministry said.

The ministry said it will begin culling livestock within a 500-meter radius of the latest outbreak in an effort to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly disease.

In 2003 and 2004, South Korea destroyed 5.3 million poultry to prevent the spread of the disease. No human case of bird flu has been reported in the country.

A highly pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus has been cited by the World Health Organization for killing at least 148 people in 10 countries since late 2003. Of the 43 countries to have reported bird flu outbreaks, 28 have not yet fully contained it.

odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
<!-- google ad test --->
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20061128/660000000020061128155540E9.html
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Bird flu spreads in South Korea[SIZE=+0]

Tuesday ? November 28, 2006

South Korea, battling its first outbreak of bird flu for three years, has confirmed the potentially deadly H5N1 virus has been found on a second poultry farm.

The agriculture ministry ordered another mass cull, in addition to an existing operation which has seen some 170,000 chickens slaughtered and buried in hastily dug pits.

The ministry said Tuesday the virus was found on a farm in Hwangdeung district, three kilometers (1.9 miles) from another farm in Seokmae village, where it was first reported last week.

Both are on the outskirts of the city of Iksan, 230 kilometers (141 miles) south of Seoul.

The agriculture ministry also confirmed three other outbreaks in other districts, but said these were caused by a mild strain of bird flu not lethal to humans.

The farm in Hwangdeung contacted health authorities after about 200 of its 12,000 chickens died Monday. Another 400 died Tuesday morning.

All chickens and ducks within a 500-meter radius of the Hwangdeung site would be culled to prevent the "highly pathogenic virus" from spreading, a ministry spokesman said.

Three checkpoints manned by quarantine authorities and police had already been set up around the Hwangdeung farm to control vehicle and people movements, he said.

Health authorities also vaccinated 151 people in 58 houses located within a radius of 500 meters of the site.

The agriculture ministry has culled tens of thousands of poultry and other animals, including pigs and dogs, since a highly contagious strain of the H5N1 virus was detected at the farm at Seokmae.

The ministry said more than 170,000 chickens at several farms within 500 meters of the first infection were slaughtered and buried in the past two days.

More than 6.6 million eggs and newly hatched chickens were also destroyed.

By Thursday, the ministry plans to complete the culling of about 236,000 chickens and ducks, as well as 300 pigs and 577 dogs.

Local media said the operator of the Seokmae farm, identified only as Mr Lee, had put five of the dead chickens in a plastic bag and taken them to a state laboratory for testing rather than calling in authorities.

"This episode happened as Mr Lee was running around in efforts to sort the problem out for himself," Agriculture Minister Park Hong-Soo told journalists.

South Korea was the first country to report avian flu when the latest outbreaks, the largest and most severe on record, began in Asia in mid-2003.

From December 2003 to March 2004, 5.3 million ducks and chickens were destroyed at a cost of 150 billion won (now 160 million US dollars) and in December last year the nation had declared itself free of the virus.

Sales of chickens have fallen 20-30 percent and officials have organised well publicised chicken dinners to try to reassure the public the meat is safe if properly cooked. ? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]http://www.todayonline.com/articles/157342print.asp[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]AFP [/SIZE]
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Bird Flu Outbreak Plagues Korea
By Tom Pauken II
Associate Editor / Columnist
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=4435

The bird flu has spread to the Korean Peninsula, infecting and killing about 10,000 fowl (chickens and ducks) in November, 2006. As of Sunday Nov. 26, 2006, South Korean officials culled 236,000 fowl in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, the southwestern region of Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that authorities culled over 100,000 fowl in Hadang farm in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital city. Yet, neither countries reported cases of human infections.

The South and North Korean governments have taken dramatic steps to stem the spread of the bird flu, called the avian influenza by scientists. Nonetheless, the South Korean Agriculture Ministry announced on Saturday November, 25th that the chicken killed by the Avian Flu were infected by the H5N1 virus.

This illness is highly virulent and pathogenic with a mortality rate of 90-100% for fowl. H5N1 virus spreads mostly through chickens but humans can be infected with the possibility of being contagious.

Alarm bells have been ringing throughout the world. But some high-level South Korean government authorities expressed more concern for the financial welfare of poultry farmers than for the public at large.

On Sunday November 26th South Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and Agriculture Minister Park Hong-soo gathered in front of the local media to eat chicken soup. Even though if poultry is properly cooked nobody can be infected by it, they are sending the wrong message to their citizens.

What they are saying is that people should take the risk and continue eating chicken. They demanded all government cafeterias encourage people to eat chicken the day afterward. They launched a campaign to convince consumers that they must buy chicken to prevent sales from plummeting.

They've had some success. The large supermarket chains reported a slight drop in poultry purchases. Nevertheless, the same can't be said for their culling program.

They issued quarantine for five farms in the Iksan village with a 500m radius. Those chickens have all been slaughtered, as well as, six million eggs within a 3Km radius and restricted the movement of poultry in a 10Km radius.221 farms with 5 million head of fowl have been affected. This includes 300 pigs and 677 cats and dogs.

Yet a week after the government revealed the outbreak of the avian flu in Iksan it has spread northward to another village named Seoson. A pair of chicken and were infected by eggs from Iksan. They died and spread the virus more.

The process of culling chicken can be quick and effective but this doesn't guarantee a complete cure. 30 quarantine officials, national and local officials and staff from Halim, chicken meat processing firm adding up to 116 people herded chickens in a corner, covered them with a tarpaulin mat and suffocated them with carbon dioxide before burying them with lime in a 3m deep hole.

Seoul government plans to declare the region a special disaster zone and provide farmers millions of dollars in compensation. These actions are more adequate for dealing with the crisis.

The world fears a pandemic where avian influenza spreads from human to human, killing millions. They want to see governments establish preventative measures even if it adversely affects the economy. The world would dread seeing a government promote chicken consumption when the H5N1 virus spreads throughout their nation.

Certainly, people should not panic over the bird flu unless it's a crisis, but all should learn some basic information. A good website to click on is www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/. It is sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Not all types of bird flu are deadly but the H5N1 virus is. The symptoms are subtle in the beginning but progresses into an illness requiring hospitalization. The patient gets fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches so few people report it. But the patient will then get an eye infection, pneumonia and face severe respiratory diseases. By that time many can't be cured.

Infected poultry spread the virus through their saliva and nasal secretions and feces. Farmers who care for them are at high risk so culling is necessary. Since 2003, 153 people were killed worldwide but most originate from the Asia-Pacific region with Vietnam suffering the most.

Fortunately, scientists proved that nobody could be infected by the bird flu if they eat poultry that's properly cooked. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration give advice on how to avoid the H5N1 virus.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw poultry and eggs.

Clean cutting boards and other utensils with soap and hot water to keep poultry from contaminating other foods.

Use a food thermometer to make sure the cooking is at 75 degrees Celsius or 165 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

The scenes of men in white lab suits going to slaughter chickens are heart-rending for those farmers who dedicated their lives to raising them. They're forced to watch anonymous individuals hidden behind masks take away their means of financial support. It's as if one is watching a nightmare plot from a science-fiction film. But if the poultry were not culled then the results would be the same and worse.

H5N1 virus is highly virulent and would kill all of their chickens then spread throughout the land. So, culling is a difficult decision by the government but the right one.

Nonetheless, the South Korean government shouldn't promote chicken consumption until after the bird flu crisis ends. Not to do so is foolish and dangerous. It's quite possible that a pandemic might start just because the South Korean prime minister ate a bowl of chicken soup.
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

T.Modesto said:
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that authorities culled over 100,000 fowl in Hadang farm in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital city.
Uh-oh.
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong


www.oie.int






Highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Republic of Korea (diagnosis confirmation)

(Date of previous outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Republic of Korea reported to the OIE: 2004).


Information received on 26 November 2006 from Dr Chang-Seob Kim, Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Gwacheon:
Report date: 26 November 2006.
Reason for immediate notification: re-occurrence of a listed disease or infection in a country or zone/compartment following a report declaring the outbreak(s) ended.
Identification of agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1.
Date of first confirmation of the event: 22 November 2006.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical, post-mortem and laboratory.
Location of the outbreak: Iksan city (Jeollabuk-do province).
Number of animals in the outbreak: 6,500 cases, 13,300 susceptible animals, 6,500 deaths and 6,800 animals destroyed.
Description of affected population: a parent stock farm for broiler chickens (45 weeks old).
Laboratory where diagnostic tests were performed: National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang, Kyonggi.
Diagnostic tests used:
<dir> - PCR<sup>(1)</sup>,
- haemagglutination inhibition test,
- sequence analysis: amino acid sequence at cleavage site reveals a HPAI profile,
- cytopathic effect on cell culture,
- neutralisation.
</dir>Source of outbreak or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive.
Control measures undertaken:
<dir> - control of wildlife reservoirs;
- stamping out (all poultry in the affected farm);
- quarantine (removal of feed, manure and egg plates out of the farms within a 3-km radius zone around the outbreak is prohibited);
- movement control inside the country (a 10-km radius zone around the infected holding);
- screening;
- zoning;
- burial of dead and destroyed poultry as well as of feed, manure and egg plates in the affected farm;
- disinfection and surveillance intensified in the poultry holdings.
</dir>Control measure to be undertaken: stamping out (all poultry within a 0.5-km radius zone around the outbreak).
(1) PCR: polymerase chain reaction
**********************




**********************
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Here is the site, Translated by Google.


Birds influenza `human influenza' will become?


0.jpg

t is a birds influenza, to former times especially does not try to listen the infectious disease of the name which is unfamiliar it cannot is last year and this year it pushes the global village here and there which begins Edo our country in fear. Tax [ching] the birds influenza the name of a disease which the livestock infectious disease which it soaks is accurate 'the domestic fowl (as) influenzas ', is the disease which is infected from the chicken, the duck, the turkey and the wild birds back various birds.

The hospital body which gets up a birds influenza the virus (virus) as kind the electric wave is quick and it is become known that the hospital characteristic is various. To initially it was a virus which gets up an acutely infectious disease in only the birds and it will decrease with it knew, but it will be infected to the variant of the last 1997 birds influenza virus and this virus the human waste back of the birds will lead with after which occurs from sacrifice own Hong Kong which dies and it could be infected to also the person fact it came to reveal.

It is a last year and this year Edo China and Thailand, when the birds influenza is quickly diffused from Indonesia back Southeast Asia, from also the human infection instance and the dead person are appearing. Not only the birds influenza is discovered even from Great Britain, Sweden and Russia back Europe and in until the Middle East, Africa and the Americas area the back where the diffusion is worried, the whole world is enveloped in full operation in fear of birds influenza.

The birds influenza which foot-forward defensive stance it starts recently suddenly from where positively still come it reveals and is not a position thing. With the fact that it will occur only mainly in winter season [cheng] [twung] the winter migratory birds of the duck back move the virus and that it comes they are presumed.

Currently not only the birds the human Edo it is infected with `H5N1', already even from in the various variant of the birds influenza virus and that the head of a family problem becomes there is tens name dead people, it puts out. A but more horrible thing, this virus gets up a mutation again and it is a case which develops in `human influenzas where the contagion is possible' even from between the person and the person. Luckily still the present birds influenza virus is contagious corroboration it is not but, finally mutating in human influenza prospective even from human wild gap with the fact that it will be a matter of time the many specialists.

The virus of the case two type where the patient who is infected to a same time in the influenza which currently becomes popular specially to the human being and birds influenza will occur will lead and the gene exchange back the possibility which will get up a mutation to be higher is position. To the case where the human body for infection of if birds influenza will become accomplished the damage of the back where above of possibility hundred ten thousand people dies in brief instant it presumes, it is visible with the fact that it will be difficult.

Recently the reason where the listening relation authorities and the scientists become tense more last a world-wide about under becoming popular at 1918 occurred enormous damage, what is called with `Spain influenza' it is relationship because of birds influenza. Immediately after the World War I ends the Spain influenza which from person 1918 in compliance with the participation in a war military personnel mainly is contagious between 1919 dead person step which is caused by with warfare an all puts out more life damage, it is an infectious disease of worst at human history. 5 minutes of the whole world population 1 degree will be infected and only whole body count from minimum 2 thousand 5 hundred ten thousand people it is estimated until as 5 ten million people, occasionally the black soldier who devastation anger makes an Europe entire area ([phey] [su] [thu]) it sees a more sacrifice it will cut it is a count which becomes well known the bad name which it records with medieval after and.

Like this Spain influenza during that time the cause which is accurate revealed and support from the birds not to be the map which will occur it did not know and only the presumption which wears out it was proposed, it will reach to recent times and the scientists whom it researches revealed a shocking fact and they put out. The research team of the namely United States about under dying the place where about under picking it remakes the influenza virus from the lung of one dead person who is buried in Alaska succeeded with a Spain influenza to 1918, H1N1 where it is a virus of at this influenza with birds influenza of now is that the fact which is a same bell type is confirmed.

This research result `your these wives who are a prominent scientific journal', between `it was announced in the [su]' Edo dissertation which freezes, H1N1 viruses of Spain influenza H5N1 where it is the present birds influenza virus and part own jointly the fatal variant amino acids in the human body, the Spain influenza which passes consequently kind of birds influenza where the contagion is possible `person for' or sameness was conclusion.

The whole world disease prevention authorities who begins our country the emergency is caught to the yard where the dangerous characteristic which birds influenza will process approaches as time goes by and, the insecurity which the common people feel and fear there will not be in a possibility outside which it will become worse as well and [tus] it does. When but being like this, one recording the excitation which goes to extremes or the diffusion of the sense of insecurity which is vague does not become the help entirely in problem solving not to be, it is calm more and composedly, must confront.

The namely governmental authorities was relieved this citizen who in past is repeated from the similar private plan back unconditional concealment does with the pretext which makes wear out or the intent on thing to know in the abridgment hour height flag, pertinent informations transparently, about under opening to the public to buy the international with mutual assistance the possibility of accomplishing cooperation in order to be, a national gain and loss and a cooperation, from security and the various counter-measure preparation back of vaccine must finish the best. Also common people as well the back which keeps away the relation livestock raising product unconditionally to go to extremes improvisational and it knows, that it will confront sentimentally, the knowledge which is more accurate the egg old book wisely, must confront.

The birds influenza event of this time does not know with our disease prevention ability together national `dangerous communications' and the touchstone which examines a civil official ability will be thick.

(Writing: Most dubbing artist Korean scientific technical karma total operation committee)

.............................................................
The misunderstand and the truth against a birds influenza

1. The whole chicken or duck meat absoluteness it could not be relieved?
The birds influenza leads and the contact back which leads an air contact or the respiratory organ because is a virus characteristic disease it could be contagious only to intake the food, it is not infected it is not. Also the virus dies when in ten to be weak above of 30 seconds ten does from temperature above 75℃, 100%. Consequently it eats the whole chicken or duck meat and, it is not contagious it is not.

2. The lifestyle chicken, six times are not safely?
The birds influenza virus is not to meat one elf and it exists in only the mutation or secretion back.
Also the birds influenza leads and air contact or the respiratory organ the chicken which already dies because is a disease which is contagious, the possibility where becomes the air contagion from the duck is thin.

3. It ate the chicken which gets sick and it was infected all?
The chicken which is caught to a birds influenza dies within 3rd. The birds influenza is infected the breath it is long but air contagion only the tube printed style of writing and does not become the infection with the food.

4. The chicken which dies in birds influenza, cooking which it made with the duck meat there are eight possibilities from the dining room?
The chicken which dies in birds influenza, as there will not be a possibility of taking out the hair which it cuts into strips to stiffen and the chart flesh color which takes out the hair comes to be red, there is not goods characteristic. Also the chicken which is infected from only the province border market which the formal notarization is controlled and slaughter receives it is safe in order to catch.

5. Also it is dangerous to eat the egg?
The chicken which is caught to a birds influenza cannot bear the egg. Also the birds influenza virus entirely is not to the egg. Even if the virus [mwut] is [e] on the shell but before selling it loses washing and disinfecting from the process which it does.
Data origin: The korean scientific technical karma total
6-7.gif







htm_2005022419251940004010-003.jpg
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

27 November 2006
Potentially disastrous threat to the world's Baikal Teal: THREE new outbreaks of so-called Avian Influenza in South Korea, at Iksan, Pyongtaek, and Seosan.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]At least 6000 chickens at a farm in Iksan, South Korea, died between Sunday, 19 November and Wednesday, 22 November, before the farmer alerted authorities. The Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) identified the virus as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (announced on 25 November). A cull has been conducted of all chickens and other poultry, along with two dogs, within 500 m of this farm, and all eggs destroyed for a 3 Km circumference around the two egg-producing farms that had supplied the chicken farm in question.
The Geum River barrage, which has been hosting over 400,000 Baikal Teal Anas formosa (most of the world's population) in recent winters, is located only 5 km downstream from Iksan. To date, there is no evidence or suggestion that wild birds have been infected by this poultry outbreak, though at this stage contamination still seems possible. This is due to the length of time it took for the farmer to report the Iksan outbreak; the lack of security practiced by people visiting the area (with online images showing some reporters at the site dressed in ordinary clothing: note this virus can easily be transported on shoes, vehicle wheels and probably in water), and the failure of the first quarantine procedure; and finally, the practice locally of keeping some birds in cages, near to the Geum River ? with some of these (e.g. Cinereous Vultures) even fed raw chicken, no doubt supplied by local farms.
A second outbreak of Avian Influenza was then detected at Pyongtaek, a major port and trade centre ca150 km to the north of Iksan, on 23 November, and identified by MAF as Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The sudden reappearance of Avian Influenza at two discrete sites, on almost the same dates after a long period with no outbreaks, seems highly suggestive of infection from a shared source (perhaps imported poultry products?).
Then, a third outbreak was reported at Seosan on 27 November. As stated by Yeonhap News, "Bird flu was found in a pair of chickens raised in South Korea's southern city of Seosan, north of Iksan where the first outbreak took place and thousands of chickens were subsequently culled, government officials said Monday. The chickens found to be infected with the deadly epidemic had been born out of eggs supplied from the Iksan poultry farm where the highly-virulent strain of bird flu was discovered last week, the provincial officials said." (Please go to: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20061127/410100000020061127123752E5.html )
While MAF was initially responsible in its reporting and handling of the first outbreak, they have now posted a pop-up cartoon on their website, clearly insinuating wild birds are to blame (please go to: http://www.maf.go.kr). After explaining that wild birds, as well as smuggled birds and caged birds, are dangerous, a kindly cartoon farmer answers the concerns of his frightened poultry by stating that he will protect them from migrant birds! Other frames advise people not to go to areas with wild birds, as well as against going to Viet Nam and other countries with the disease!
Clearly, the Ministry feels there is no need for a warning against poor industrial practice. At least one domestic newspaper (the Chosun Ilbo) has already included the erroneous statement that the disease is usually carried by migrant birds (wild birds fairly often carry low pathogenic influenza viruses: highly pathogenic influenza viruses are extraordinarily rare in the wild). All bird conservationists and people interested or concerned about this disease are advised to read statements from a recent United Nations meeting in China, which concluded, based on all available evidence, that "migratory birds do not play a major role in the transmission of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1".

http://www.birdskorea.org/poultryflu_mainpage.asp
[/FONT]
 
Last edited:
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Theresa42 said:
T.Modesto said:
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that authorities culled over 100,000 fowl in Hadang farm in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital city.
Uh-oh.
Everyone just ignore my "uh-oh" of earlier. I thought the above about an outbreak in Pyongyang, North Korea, was referring to a new outbreak -- but it's referring to an outbreak from April 2005. Nevermind!

*Whew*
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

China Bans Poultry From South Korea to Deter Bird Flu (Update1)

By Dune Lawrence

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- China has banned the import of poultry from South Korea in six provinces to prevent an outbreak of bird flu from spreading across its borders, according to a statement on the Web site of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture and quarantine officials have been ordered to increase the scrutiny of cross-border cargo in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang, according to the ministry's statement.

Bird flu killed about 200 chickens at a South Korea farm, the second outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza strain in three days. The farm, in the southwestern city of Iksan, housed about 12,000 fowl about 3 kilometers from a farm where an H5N1 outbreak was confirmed on Nov. 25, according to Kim Yang Ii, a South Korean agriculture ministry spokesman yesterday.

The infections are the first in South Korea, Asia's second-biggest corn importer, since an initial H5N1 outbreak in December 2003. That prompted the slaughter within four months of about 5.3 million poultry, worth 150 billion won ($161 million).

Disease trackers are monitoring H5N1, which threatens to mutate into a form that's easily spread among humans. It is has infected at least 258 people in 10 countries during the past three years, killing 153 of them, the World Health Organization said on Nov. 13.

The Chinese provinces where the poultry ban is in place are located closest to South Korea. Government departments should "step up preventive measures against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, including stopping imports of poultry products," the Chinese agriculture ministry said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dune Lawrence in Beijing at dlawrence6 _at_ bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 28, 2006 19:54 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a7JgVy_lGH8k
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Nov. 28, 2006, 1:28PM
S. Korea kills animals to stop bird flu
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4365083.html
Park Kyung-hee, an official at Iksan City Hall, said 677 dogs _ bred on farms for their meat _ along with 300 pigs were to be slaughtered Tuesday, and said stray cats and mice also would be killed. Another city official said pet "dogs raised individually in houses will also be subject to slaughter." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Animal rights activists criticized the government move, saying it had no scientific basis.
"The claim by the South Korean government that killing cats and dogs will prevent further spread of bird flu is unfounded and is a dangerous diversion of resources," said Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health and animal agriculture for The Humane Society of the United States and author of a book on bird flu.

The culling of mammals is a new intervention that has not been explained by WHO/FAO to my knowledge.

I happened to hear Dr. Gregor speak tonight on the University of Florida campus. His book is available free online or may be purchased as a hardcover. Overall he gave an outstanding presentation with emphasis on shelter in place preparedness and hygiene in addition to changes in the way we use farm poultry.
I am sure any of us could find points of differences with his thesis but overall I believe he has made a substantive contribution to the preparedness effort.

Bird Flu Book by Dr. Michael Gregor http://birdflubook.com/g.php?id=5
jt
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Second Bird Flu Outbreak [in Iksan] Also of Virulent Strain
Nov 29, 2006

Authorities have confirmed that another bird flu outbreak in Iksan reported on Monday is of a virulent strain.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Tuesday some 200 of 12,000 chickens found dead on Sunday and Monday at a farm 3.5 km away from the initially infected area were killed by a highly virulent strain. Tests by the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service confirmed that the additional case is of highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. The ministry has decided to cull all chickens and ducks raised in a 500-m radius from the newly affected farm. It will decide in a meeting on Wednesday whether to cull all poultry in a 3-km radius of the first and second infected farms.

Kim Chang-seob, the chief veterinary officer at the ministry, said the bird flu virus was presumed to have been spread by vehicles using the 23rd Road, the preferred route of farmers in the region. The road links the first and second infected farms. The fresh outbreak gives rise to concerns that the virulent strain may spread further afield. Kim said that so far it cannot be said that avian influenza is spreading since the second case was reported within a 10-km radius of the first. Inspectors are testing other farms for the virus, he added.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200611/200611290018.html
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

Virulent AI Strain Discovered in Iksan Again
NOVEMBER 29, 2006 06:44

Another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) has been discovered eight days after the first case in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, at a farm close to the initial outbreak.

The government expected that the AI would not spread further due to meticulous quarantine measures, but experts worry that this incident may foretell further outbreaks.

After reports were received by the Ministry of Agriculture on November 27 that mass deaths may have resulted from AI at a poultry farm in Hwangdeung-myeon, Iksan, the National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service launched investigations and reported on November 28 that the chickens were contaminated with the highly pathogenic AI strain.

The farm is approximately 3km away from the farm where the initial outbreak of November 19 occurred, and contains 12,000 chickens. Six chickens were found dead on November 26, with an additional 200 on November 27 and 400 on November 28.

Kim Chang-sup, head of the livestock quarantine section of the Ministry of Agriculture, said, ?It is highly likely that this AI virus is similar to the previous incident, ?H5N1??, and added, ?We are investigating how the two farms with virulent AI incidents are related.?

The government will dispose of all poultry including chickens and ducks within a 3km radius of the two farms to prevent the spread of the AI virus.

Within a 3km radius of the first farm are 170,000 chickens and ducks, and an additional 700,000 chickens are near the second farm.

The Iksan Office of Education ordered the 57 students of the five schools located within 1.5km of the farm where the highly pathogenic AI strain was first discovered, including Hamyeol Middle School and Hamyeol High School, to return home to be quarantined.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2006112996928
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

S.Korea in huge poultry cull to halt bird flu
Thu 30 Nov 2006 6:58:00 GMT
(Adds details, background)

SEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - South Korea will cull more than half a million fowl in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, having already killed 150,000 chickens near farms where the virus was found, officials said on Thursday.

Last week South Korea confirmed it had its first outbreak of the H5N1 strain in about three years, saying the virus had been found at two poultry farms close to each other in Iksan, about 170 km (105 miles) south of Seoul.

"We will expand the radius of areas for culling bird flu-infected poultry farms ... in order to make sure the outbreak does not spread," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

The announcement came after the country found a second outbreak of the H5N1 strain at a poultry farm on Tuesday. The government will provide full compensation for the cull.

There were no reports to suggest residents or quarantine officials had been infected in or around both infected farms, officials said.

The ministry decided not to include other animals in the cull, although it has already killed dogs and cats on the farms hit by the outbreak despite criticism from animal rights groups.

Sales and prices of poultry have fallen by 30 percent since the outbreak, according to the ministry. Japan and China had banned imports of poultry and poultry products from South Korea.

Between December 2003 and March 2004, about 400,000 poultry at South Korean farms were infected by bird flu.

During that outbreak, the country destroyed 5.3 million birds.

Subsequent testing in the United States indicated at least nine South Korean workers involved in the culling had been infected with the H5N1 virus, but none developed major illnesses.

The vast majority of human bird flu cases involving the H5N1 virus have been linked to direct or indirect contact with infected fowl.

Indonesia said on Tuesday a 35-year-old woman died of the disease, bringing that country's death toll to 57, the highest for any nation.

Bird flu remains essentially an animal disease, but it has infected nearly 260 people worldwide since late 2003, killing more than 150, according to the World Health Organisation.

Since 2003, outbreaks have been confirmed in about 50 countries and territories.


? Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=SEO198415
 
Re: South Korea - H5N1 - Iksan & Yangpyeong

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600"><tbody><tr><td></td> <td colspan="3" align="left" valign="top" width="590"> Avian Influenza Alert Upgraded
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By Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200611/kt2006113017315411960.htm

The government upgraded the alert level on avian influenza from ``attention?? to ``precaution?? Thursday in an attempt to raise people?s awareness of the highly virulent H5N1 virus following two outbreaks in Iksan, North Cholla Province, 280 km south of Seoul.


After holding consultations with the National Security Council (NSC) and relevant institutions, the government decided to upgrade the official alert level even though the second highly virulent bird flu case was detected within the ``surveillance zone?? _ a 10-kilometer radius of the initially infected farm.


There are four steps in the alert levels and they are determined by the seriousness of the situation _ ``concern,?? ``attention,?? ``precaution?? and ``serious.??


Related to this, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Park Hong-soo said the government has decided to expand the radius of the area for culling bird flu-infected poultry from 500 meters to 3 kilometers.


As a result, an additional half a million fowl will be slaughtered in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly strain of bird flu, government officials said.


Last Saturday, it was confirmed that a farm in Iksan was contaminated with the H5N1 virus, which can also be fatal to humans. Four days later, a neighboring farm was also discovered to have been exposed to the virus.


According to the ministry, there are about 772,000 chickens being raised on 40 poultry farms within the 3-kilometer radius of the first and second outbreaks. Since Sunday 150,000 of those had been destroyed.


The government will pay compensation to farmers whose birds have been destroyed due to the quarantine measures, dependent on the age and type of poultry, following discussions with experts and the farmers.


When avian influenza broke out in 2003 and 2004, about 45 billion won in compensation was paid to farmers to cover the destruction of 5.3 million in livestock.


Meanwhile, Seoul Metropolitan Government?s plan to hold public observation programs of migratory birds near the Han River is drawing controversy during this period.


According to the city of Seoul, it will operate observation stands in Pamsom on the Han River and Kangso Ecological Garden starting next month until February, so that people can observe migratory birds.


The government will install powerful telescopes and also take security measures such as disinfecting around observation stations and carrying out analyses on the excretion of migratory birds on a regular basis.


The plan is criticized by some as being ``imprudent?? since the government has not yet ruled out the possibility that the detected avian influenza was contracted from migratory birds


However, city officials said since the observation station is located some hundreds of meters away from the birds, there is no chance that the public will be exposed to danger.


Environmental groups and bird experts are concerned about the presumption that migratory birds may have caused the outbreak of the avian influenza.


Kim Kyong-won, an official at the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements, said, ``The quarantine authorities tend to emphasize the possibility of infection from migratory birds because they are having difficulty in figuring out the cause.??


Every winter, about 5,000 migratory birds of 20 species from various parts of the world, including Siberia and Mongolia, come to the Han River.


michelle@koreatimes.co.kr
11-30-2006 17:32​
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