Global pandemic H5N1 avian influenza first detected in South Korea this winter

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) type H5N1 was detected for the first time in South Korea. The Ministry of Environment (Minister: Kim Wan-seop) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister: Son Mi-ryon, hereafter referred to as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) announced the establishment of a national
On the 14th, the Wildlife Disease Control Agency conducted a detailed diagnosis of a wild bird (mandarin duck) captured in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and ultimately found that it was infected with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.
On the 17th, the ministry announced that the virus had been confirmed. Prior to this, on the 2nd, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N3 was detected in wild bird feces collected from the downstream of the Mangyeong River in Gunsan.
However, this is the first time that the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, which is spreading worldwide this winter, has been detected.
The Ministry of Environment has decided to strengthen surveillance by designating an area 10km from the detection point as a "wild flu surveillance area" due to the confirmation of avian influenza.
The ministry also plans to conduct a survey of migratory bird arrivals at 150 migratory bird destinations nationwide from the 18th to the 20th.
In addition, the virus was detected in special management areas within 3 km of the waterside of migratory bird habitats, including the areas where the virus was detected.
The Ministry of Environment will strengthen quarantine measures, such as issuing notices on restrictions on people and vehicles entering the areas where the birds fly, and carrying out quarantine inspections at livestock farms.
(Party) A "Wild Bird Response Status Inspection Conference" will be held with the participation of the Environment Agency, and they will also begin inspecting the progress of forecasting by each agency and the current status of monitoring the movement of migratory birds.
Kim Tae-oh, director of the Ministry of Environment's Nature Conservation Bureau, said, "We will strengthen our forecasts and quickly confirm and spread the outbreak trends of avian influenza.
"We will do our best to minimize the damage within Korea," said Choi Jeong-rok, director of quarantine policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
In addition, we ask that even if only mild symptoms are observed, people report them to the disease control authorities immediately."