Today Online 7 May 08;
SEOUL — Bird flu has spread to South Korea's capital Seoul despite a massive nationwide cull that saw the slaughter of 6 million ducks and chickens in recent weeks, officials said yesterday.
The Agriculture Ministry said a case was reported at a small aviary run by Gwangjin district officials in eastern Seoul.
"This was the first outbreak in Seoul. We believe it has been caused by infected pheasants that district officials purchased at an open market in the city of Seongnam south of Seoul," a ministry official said.
All 53 chickens, turkeys and pheasants at the aviary were recently slaughtered, he said.
The official added: "Initial blood tests showed pheasants and chickens were infected with bird flu, although the type of the virus isn't yet known".
"Officials are conducting blood tests to determine whether it was caused by the virulent H5N1 strain".
Quarantine officials slaughtered poultry in a nearby public park and also plan to decontaminate aviaries and poultry farms in other parts of Seoul.
A major theme park in southern Seoul culled 221 ducks, wild chickens and geese in its aviary.
More than 6 million chickens and ducks have been slaughtered since the country's latest outbreak was reported on April 1, the ministry said.
South Korea's previous outbreak was between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 240 people worldwide since late 2003.
No South Koreans are known to have contracted the disease. — AFP
Bird flu outbreak spreads to Seoul
Straits Times 7 May 08;
Virus reaches South Korean capital despite massive cull across the nation
SEOUL - SOUTH Korea's worst outbreak of bird flu has spread to the capital Seoul despite a massive nationwide cull that saw six million ducks and chickens slaughtered in recent weeks, officials said yesterday.
Four dead birds at an aviary in a district government office had tested positive for the virus, the Agriculture Ministry said.
Ministry official Kim Chang Sup said two pheasants purchased by district officials from an open market south of Seoul had carried the disease. They infected two other birds and later died.
'Initial blood tests showed pheasants and chickens were infected with bird flu, although the type of virus is not yet known,' he said.
He added that further tests were being conducted to determine whether it was the virulent H5N1 virus.
Quarantine workers slaughtered the 53 other pheasants, chickens and turkeys that were being raised at the aviary for children to view.
As a precaution, officials also culled 63 birds at Children's Grand Park, a major amusement park about 1.2km from the outbreak site, and 191 birds at Seoul Grand Park, another theme park south of the capital.
Other birds at the two parks have been disinfected and put off-limits to visitors.
Bird flu began sweeping southern parts of the country last month for the first time in more than a year, forcing the slaughter of about 6.5 million birds.
South Korea's previous outbreak was between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.
No South Koreans are known to have contracted the disease.
North Korea said on Monday it was stepping up measures to prevent the outbreak from being carried over its borders by migratory flocks.
In Japan, a dead swan tested positive for bird flu on Monday, less than a week after the government announced the first detection of the deadly virus in 13 months.
Officials were inspecting chicken farms within a 30km radius of where the bird was found, the health authorities said.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 240 people worldwide since late 2003.
Health experts fear the strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, leading to a pandemic.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
