Bird Flu - Avian Influenza - news - information

Thursday, April 03, 2008

S.Korea reports bird flu outbreak, culls poultry

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea has started culling over 300,000 chickens and other poultry after confirming an outbreak of highly virulent bird flu at a farm in the southwest—its first case in 13 months, the country’s farm ministry said.

The ministry said late on Thursday the strain of bird flu at the farm in Gimje, about 215 km (135 miles) south of Seoul, was confirmed as the deadly H5N1 strain. Workers have started slaughtering birds at the farm and six other farms within 500 meters radius of the outbreak site.

On Wednesday, the farm, which raises 150,000 birds, reported the death of around 2,400 birds since last Saturday.

The ministry also banned distribution of 3.6 million animals within a 10 km radius of the outbreak site and the destruction of eggs produced, and already distributed, in the area.

bird flu story source: Reuters

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Bird flu ravages central Vietnam province

An outbreak of bird flu is sweeping through the central province of Quang Nam, felling fowls and forcing authorities to cull a further 26,660 birds.

They destroyed 7,000 eggs and 1,250 ducks Monday after finding signs of the H5N1 virus that causes the disease.

Seven communes in four districts – Nui Thanh, Thang Binh, Dai Loc and Tien Phuoc – have been affected.

Nguyen Ngoc Quang, vice chairman of the Quang Nam People’s Committee, instructed local authorities to focus on disinfecting affected areas and containing the spread of the disease.

Until mid-March only Nui Thanh had reported outbreaks.

Avian Influenza story source: ThanHnien News