March 31, 2004

 

 

Contaminated Feed Suspected Cause Of Korean Bird Flu

 

Scientists in Korea have suggested that the bird flu virus in the country is spread through contaminated feed.

 

According to Seoul National University Prof. Kim Sun-joong, occasionally farmers use homemade feed instead of commercial feed that is tested for viruses. "The 'garbage' feed may have been contaminated," he said.

 

A particular strain of bird flu, or avian influenza began spreading in Thailand and Vietnam in October and has killed 20 people in Asia. In the process of eradication, millions of chickens were destroyed.

 

No deaths were reported in Korea and researchers believe the local virus is not contagious to humans. But the disease temporarily wrecked businesses selling poultry, causing sales of poultry at major grocery outlets to drop 30 percent.

 

So far, most of the 18 cases reported in Korea since December have been traced back to having contact with local farms, Kim said.

 

"The chance of random spreading is low," Kim added, which leads him to believe the cases in Korea could have been the fault of processors not following quarantine procedures.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture feels "embarrassed" by the last outbreak, said Kim Chang-seoh, director of the animal health division. Korea has spent more money than other countries, such as the United States, to control the spread of bird flu. Yet, the disease has surfaced again.

 

The ministry is uncertain of how this last outbreak occurred, but says general sloppiness in sanitizing farms can cause the virus to return.

 

"Even though farmers face penalties for not following procedures, they still neglect what they are supposed to do," the director said.

 

Farms should regularly wash trucks and vehicles, cages, and other equipment that leave or arrive on their property. Employees are not allowed to travel to infected areas, and security should only allow related people to enter facilities.

 

Just because doctors declared it was safe to eat chicken weeks ago, doesn't mean processors can stop safeguarding against the disease, the director said.

 

The World Health Organization reports that avian influenza thrives in cooler temperatures and usually lives for six months, or until summer arrives. The Agriculture Ministry believes processors should be cautious for about three more months.

 

San-gole Farm, who raises chickens in near Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, still complies with the quarantine procedures.

 

"We hope that the situation gets better when it gets warmer," said farm manager Park Kyeong-kyu. "Even though we have taken measures against the bird flu, we're still cautious."

 

Park says large farms can handle the expense and pressure of keeping their facilities clean.

 

"However, small farms have the possibility to get infected because they tend to neglect the quarantine procedures that cost money," Park said.

 

Destroying the flock after the disease is discovered is the most guaranteed method of eradicating the flu, said SNU's Prof. Kim. The government has spent more than 21.32 billion won ($18.11 million) so far compensating processors for their losses.

 

Wild birds can also catch the disease and spread it to other farms. A case of a magpie infected with bird flu reported last week worried officials. As a precaution, a flock of chickens at a nearby processor in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province was destroyed.

 

Magpies and other birds can be more resistant to the disease than chickens and not show symptoms until weeks later. They have the potential to spread the disease, but Kim's studies show the cases in Korea were not random.

 

"If in the last case the population was destroyed properly, then I don't think there will be a further outbreak in Korea," said Kim.