H5 AI confirmed Wednesday morning at laying-hen farm in Doshin-ri, Sinseo-myeon
Yeoncheon-gun has activated its disaster and safety response headquarters and launched an all-out quarantine effort after avian influenza (AI H5) was confirmed at a laying-hen farm in Doshin-ri, Sinseo-myeon on Wednesday.
The outbreak was confirmed after a suspicious report of laying-hen deaths at the farm was received Tuesday. An H5-type positive diagnosis was issued at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The farm raises approximately 91,000 laying hens.
Yeoncheon-gun convened a situation assessment meeting chaired by the deputy county chief to map out a response, and formally activated the disaster and safety response headquarters on Wednesday. Relevant departments have since begun emergency duty at the disaster operations center, carrying out assigned response tasks including situation management and quarantine support.
The county is moving to prepare and issue a culling order for the affected farm, while enforcing access controls and movement restrictions. Precision AI testing will be conducted on 18 farms within the quarantine zone from Wednesday through Thursday, and dedicated civil servants will be assigned to 26 poultry farms to carry out telephone surveillance and biosecurity checks.
Disinfection efforts are being stepped up using wide-area sprayers and a joint control team operated through the agricultural cooperative, alongside the operation of checkpoint disinfection facilities and the installation of feed transfer stations. Culling personnel will receive preventive vaccinations and safety training, and farms will be guided to comply with biosecurity protocols — including changing boots upon entry and disinfecting livestock facilities daily.
"We are working closely with relevant agencies and departments to prevent the spread of AI, and are marshaling all efforts around the disaster and safety response headquarters to manage the situation and maintain quarantine," said Hwang Dae-woo, chief of the safety management division. "We will mobilize all available resources to respond swiftly and thoroughly to prevent further spread."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
