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Quarantine officials appear to be fighting a losing battle as they attempt to contain
the spread of bird flu in the country. An increasing number of suspected cases are
popping up in areas that were previously unaffected by the virus.
Kwon Soa has the latest. Two confirmations of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
were made on Tuesday. One at a duck farm in Jincheon, which is in
Korea's central Chungcheongbuk-do Province, and another further south in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do
Province. This has prompted authorities to decide to
cull all ducks and chickens within 500-meter and 3-kilometer radiuses of the affected farms,
respectively. A duck farm in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do
has a suspected case, as does a chicken farm in the city of Pyeongtaek in Korea's central
Gyeonggi-do Province, although authorities are saying that preliminary autopsy results
suggest there is a good chance the chickens were NOT contaminated with the AI virus.
While confirmed or suspected flu cases have hit the Jeolla-do, Chungcheong-do and Gyeonggi-do
provinces so far, officials in Gyeongsangnam-do in the southeast of the country say migratory
bird droppings have tested positive for a flu virus, but it's not yet sure whether it
is the avian influenza virus. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs says that, in past bird flu epidemics, the virus has often broken out in the west
coast regions and gradually spread inland. Meanwhile, Lee ***-phil , the Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the spread can be halted if everyone works together.
"I ask for your active cooperation in preventive measures during trips to your hometowns this
Lunar New Year holiday, even if it's inconvenient."
Minister Lee asked people to avoid visiting poultry farms and migratory bird habitats
if possible. Officials from the government, the ruling
Saenuri Party, and the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae called an emergency meeting
on Tuesday to coordinate efforts as they try to stem the spread of the bird flu outbreak.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News