South begins cull while North steps up prevention

A cull of 236,000 poultry began yesterday in South Korea, which reported an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus last week.

South Korea killed 5.3 million birds during the last known outbreak of bird flu in 2003.

After the H5N1 strain of avian influenza was discovered, South Korea's agriculture ministry ordered the culling of poultry within a 500-metre radius of the affected poultry farm in North Cholla province about 170 km from Seoul.

Quarantine authorities also banned the shipment of more than 5 million poultry from 221 farms within a 10-km radius of the farm.

Japan has banned imports from South Korea because of the bird flu outbreak.

Meanwhile, North Korea is stepping up measures to prevent bird flu following the news that its neighbour is in the midst of an outbreak.

North Korea, which had an outbreak of bird flu at two poultry farms near Pyongyang in February 2005, said it had inoculated poultry and increased checks along its borders.

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Editor WorldPoultry