SUWON — Gyeonggi Province said on the 27th that highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in wild bird droppings collected from the lower Han River in Gimpo.
Detailed testing by the National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the highly pathogenic strain in a sample collected on the 19th of this month. It is the second detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in Korea this year, following a case in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, on the 20th of the same month.
The province said the virus is highly likely to spread to nearby poultry farms, as the detection coincides with the start of the main migratory bird season. In response, it has restricted access around the detection site and designated a quarantine zone as part of preemptive measures.
Gyeonggi Province raised its avian influenza alert to the "serious" level and banned free-range farming at all poultry farms in the province. It also shortened testing intervals by livestock type and made detailed testing mandatory before shipment, focusing on keeping the virus out of farms.
A 10-kilometer radius around the site where the antigen was detected has been designated a wild bird surveillance zone. The province is conducting emergency telephone surveillance and detailed testing of poultry farms in the area.
Disinfection work has also been stepped up. Gyeonggi Province is mobilizing available equipment, including wide-area sprayers and disinfection vehicles, to disinfect roads around migratory bird habitats and major access routes at least twice a day.
The province is also plowing rice paddies to reduce conditions that keep wild migratory birds near farms. It operates mobile teams that use lasers to safely drive away birds approaching farm areas.
"The confirmation of a highly pathogenic avian influenza antigen in wild birds shows that the environment around farms may be contaminated," said Lee Eun-kyung, head of the animal quarantine and hygiene division at Gyeonggi Province. "Farm workers should avoid visiting migratory bird habitats, and when entering livestock houses they must change boots, disinfect their hands and thoroughly disinfect inside and outside the farm."