Highly Pathogenic AI Confirmed at Yeongam Chicken Farm... Emergency Inspection of Layer Farms Underway

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The Central Countermeasures Headquarters for Avian Influenza (AI) announced on the 6th that highly pathogenic AI was confirmed at a laying hen farm in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do.

This is the 10th confirmed case of highly pathogenic AI in poultry since this fall. The farm raises approximately 36,000 laying hens.

The Central Countermeasures Headquarters will begin an emergency special inspection targeting laying hen farms nationwide starting today to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic AI. They plan to first inspect nine densely populated laying hen complexes and laying hen farms in 16 specially managed cities and counties, then sequentially inspect other farms.

Additionally, the headquarters has strengthened the reporting criteria for farms. Farms must report to quarantine authorities if there is a change in poultry feed intake, if three or more birds per cage are huddling, or if two or more birds have died within the poultry house. The sample collection criteria have also been expanded from 20 birds per poultry house to 30 birds for farms raising 30,000 or more birds, and 40 birds for farms raising 50,000 or more birds.

The headquarters also plans to provide detailed biosecurity guidelines to rental farms, farms that also cultivate rice paddies or fields, and farms that raise multiple livestock species simultaneously, as these may face difficulties in disease control.