New Low-Path Bird Flu Virus Found in Korean Ducks

SOUTH KOREA - The veterinary authority has reported finding H5N2 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in ducks following routine surveillance.

29 December 2009

3 minute read

The South Korea veterinary authority has sent an Immediate Notification dated 28 December to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The report describes the finding of LPAI in a flock of 26,800 ducks in 1,216 birds in Gobuk-myeon in Seo-san city in the province of Chungchong-namdo on the western coast of the country. Forty of the ducks tested positive for the virus, and all were destroyed.

According to the report, as part of the yearly surveillance programme, a member of the Livestock Health Control Association collected samples from a duck raising farm in Seo-san city and requested the test for avian influenza to the Chungchong-namdo Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) on 7 December 2009.

After it was positive by haemagglutination test, the sample was sent to the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) on 22 December. In the course of the confirmatory test, the isolated virus was confirmed as H5 avian influenza virus on 24 December and finally confirmed as low pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N2) by gene sequencing.

On the affected farm, all 26,800 ducks were culled and 176,000 eggs kept in the farm were destroyed. The whole procedure for burial and burning was completed on 26 December. Traceback investigation of epidemiologically related farms and enhanced surveillance on neighbouring farms are underway.