S. Korea investigating suspected case of bird flu, caseload reaches 67

▲ A shopper chooses eggs at a supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 15, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo, officials enter a chicken farm in the central city of Sejong on Jan. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)

S Korea-avian influenza

S. Korea investigating suspected case of bird flu, caseload reaches 67

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it is investigating yet another suspected highly pathogenic bird flu case traced to a farm, with the total caseload of confirmed infections reaching 67.

The suspected case of the malign H5N8 strain of avian influenza under investigation came from an egg farm in Eumseong, 131 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The country confirmed the 67th case from another farm in Yongin, just south of the capital city, the previous day.

Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul accounted for 18 cases and North and South Jeolla Provinces had 14 and 13 cases, respectively.

South Korea identified its first highly pathogenic bird flu case traced to farms in nearly three years back in November.

With no signs of letup, authorities have so far destroyed 19.2 million birds. All poultry within a 3-kilometer radius of infected farms are culled.

The figure includes 15 million chickens.

Over the past week, the consumer price of eggs rose 23.3 percent from a year earlier as more birds were destroyed, according to the latest data provided by the ministry.

The consumer price of chicken and duck meat also rose 11.7 percent and 35.3 percent, respectively.

Cases from wild birds also continued to pile up, further straining authorities' efforts to curb the spread of the contagious disease.

Since late October, South Korea has found 87 cases of highly pathogenic bird flu from wild birds.

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