“Emergency! Highly Pathogenic AI is Coming” … Gimhae City Issues ‘Risk Alert’ Until the 26th

Migratory Bird Habitats and Vulnerable Areas Vehicle Patrol Disinfection

Complete Ban on Poultry and By-products in Case of Pathogen Outbreak

Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam Province, has issued a high pathogenic avian influenza (AI) virus risk advisory until the 26th and is conducting vehicle patrol disinfection.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, has issued a high pathogenic avian influenza (AI) virus risk advisory across the entire Gimhae area from the 29th of last month until the 26th of this month.

This is due to the recent consecutive outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI at migratory bird habitats in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province; Naju and Buan in Jeolla Province; and Eumseong in Chungbuk, as well as poultry farms in Naju, Eumseong, Gangjin, and Damyang in Jeolla Province.

Gimhae City has mobilized public veterinarians and dedicated officers to predict daily occurrences and changes in pathogens and has guided each farm to immediately report if any abnormal symptoms are detected.

Since October 18th, the city has issued 10 winter AI quarantine administrative orders and 8 public announcements until the end of February next year, and since the 3rd of last month, it has prohibited free-range farming at farms.

Livestock-related vehicles coming from other regions are allowed to enter farms only after disinfecting their vehicle bodies at the 24-hour operating Livestock Comprehensive Quarantine Station.

To minimize infection from wild birds, a livestock vehicle access control zone is operated on the road adjacent to the Hwapocheon migratory bird habitat in Hallim-myeon, and five disinfection vehicles are deployed to patrol and disinfect the migratory bird habitat and vulnerable quarantine areas daily.

The city plans to completely ban the import of poultry such as chickens, geese, turkeys, and poultry by-products such as eggs and manure into the jurisdiction in case of pathogen occurrence.

A city official said, “This is a time when farm-level biosecurity is more important than ever,” and added, “We strongly urge everyone to clean inside and outside the farm and the poultry houses daily and to make it a habit to change boots when entering and exiting.”