Avian Flu Reported Outside Control Area Bird Flu, Pig Cholera Spreading Nationwide Bird Flu Appears to be Spreading Nationwide

The Ministry of Agriculture said that it has been conducting bird flu tests in the region because four duck farms in Naju and one farm in Younggwang had reported suspected cases. The number of farms in the region that have been infected with the disease or suspect to be has increased to 10. Nine farms have been infected with the flu, and 13 farms have been tested for the disease nationwide.

South Jeolla Province, and its provincial capital Gwangju city, account for 52 percent of the country’s total production. The Ministry of Agriculture is worried that Korea’s duck farming industry might fall through if the flu spreads across the region.

According to epidemic control commissioners, the four farms in Naju are affiliates of a duck meat processing company and were provided with ducklings from the company.

Kim Chang-seop, an official in charge of epidemic control at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that because the company’s farm in Chonan has been already infected with the flu, the ministry has been investigating other farms belonging to the company.

The ministry has not been able to exactly identify when the company provided ducklings to farms, as the company recently went bankrupt. In Naju alon, 24 farms were provided with 330,000 ducklings from the company. The number of chickens and ducks that were killed or buried, or are scheduled to be, since the first report in Eumsung in North Chungchung Province has now increased to 950,000.

The Chinese government said Tuesday that it has prohibited the import of chicken from Korea in order to prevent the spread of the bird flu. The Internet homepage of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture said that it ordered chicken products to be returned to Korea and to prohibit trucks and airplanes that transported the products from entering the country. The order took effect Monday. (Lee Dong-hyuck, dong@chosun.com )