May 6, 2008

Bird flu spreads to South Korea's capital

Bird flu has spread to South Korea's capital Seoul despite a massive cull that saw the slaughter of 6 million ducks and chickens, officials said Tuesday (May 6, 2008). 

The case was reported at a small aviary run by Gwangjin district officials in eastern Seoul, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

This is the first outbreak in Seoul and it is believed to have been caused by infected pheasants that district officials purchased at an open market in the city of Seongnam south of Seoul, a ministry official told AFP.

All 53 chickens, turkeys and pheasants at the aviary were slaughtered Monday night, with quarantine officials decontaminating a nearby public park and open markets.

"Initial blood tests showed pheasants and chickens were infected with bird flu, although the type of the virus is not yet known," he said. "Health officials are conducting blood tests to determine whether it was caused by the virulent H5N1 strain."

More than six million chickens and ducks have been slaughtered since the country's latest outbreak was reported April 1.

South Korea's previous outbreak was between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the suspension of poultry exports.