Bird flu antigen found at duck farm in Jangheung, triggering 24-hour standstill

Avian flu has turned up at a duck farm in Jangheung, in South Korea's Jeonnam-Gwangju region, and authorities are moving fast.

The central disease control headquarters said on Thursday that H5-type avian influenza antigen was detected at a farm raising about 22,000 meat ducks. Whether it is the highly pathogenic strain is still unknown. The national quarantine agency is running detailed tests, and results are expected in one to three days.

An initial response team has sealed off the farm, and culling and an epidemiological investigation are under way.

From 11 p.m. on Thursday until 11 p.m. on Friday, a 24-hour standstill order covers the region, duck farms owned by the same company, livestock facilities and farm vehicles.

Farmers are being told to control vehicle and staff access and disinfect every day. Authorities also asked them to report even mild signs right away, such as lower feed intake, not just more deaths or fewer eggs.

This follows the first highly pathogenic case of the winter, confirmed on 3 November at a layer farm in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi.