Tests were conducted on a pheasant dealer's shop in the Moran Market in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province and a poultry farm which were suspected by the Seoul city government and the Gwangjin District Office as possible sources of the disease. But the tests proved negative.

Officials from the Seoul city government and the Gwangjin District Office on Wednesday captured wild ducks living in the lake of Konkuk University campus, which is suspected as another possible source of the disease. The lake is located about 450 m from the infected aviary. The two authorities will send captured wild ducks to a lab for tests.

If the ducks turn out to be the source of the disease, there is a high chance that other wild birds in the vicinity have already been infected. This will make it all the more difficult to trace the cause of the disease and prevent its spread. A Seoul city government official said, "Tests of the pheasants in Moran Market were conducted after bird flu broke out. So despite the negative test results, we can't yet rule it out as a possible source of the disease. We're conducting intensive examinations and inspections with various possibilities in mind."

Since April 3 when the first case of avian influenza broke out in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, the Seoul city government has been disinfecting about 400 birds raised on eight farms in south Seoul every day. In addition, the city government has also been checking duck and chicken restaurants in the suburbs.

The Gwangjin District Office, which witnessed the outbreak of bird flu in its own district, has printed 100,000 leaflets on symptoms and preventive measures of bird flu, which it will distribute to all households in its area from Thursday.

Seoul City said, "Unlike rural areas, there are no poultry farms near the aviary in Gwangjin District. The aviary is located in a downtown area, so we're not yet considering preventing vehicles from passing near the infected area. Currently, all district offices are checking how many birds are being raised in their districts."

(englishnews@chosun.com )