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With 34 outbreaks confirmed to be caused by the H5N1 virus, and more than a dozen more waiting on test results, the current outbreak in South Korea has spread across much of Korea in just 40 days.
Exactly how this latest outbreak has spread so quickly, and across such a wide region, has not been answered.
RoK fears bird flu may spread nationwide
09/05/2008 -- 4:19 PM
Seoul (VNA) – The Republic of Korea (RoK) has expressed concern the bird flu endemic may spread right across the country after a new suspected case has been reported at a farm in the upper region of the country, according to news report.
The RoK Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on May 8 that tests were underway to determine whether the massive death of ducks and chickens at a farm in Ansung, around 100 kilometres south of the capital, had been caused by avian influenza.
The farm reported that 502 out of its total 105,000 poultry died on May 7. Another farm, just 4.8 kilometres away, has had a large number of poultry recently die from the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu.
The ministry also said that earlier in the day, tests found that the “H5” avian influenza virus had caused the death of poultry in Chuncheon and Busan in eastern and southeastern regions of the country. World news reported the confirmation that the latest outbreak in Chuncheon had been caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.
As of May 9, the number of infected cases in RoK has climbed to 34, the ministry said.- Enditem
