Guest guest Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3339423.stm S Korea bird flu outbreak spreads Officials say further 400,000 chickens ducks will have to be culled An avian flu epidemic that began last week in South Korea is continuing to spread, officials say. New cases have been identified in the south, nearly 200 kilometres (124 miles) from where the outbreak started. More than 200,000 chickens and ducks have been culled since the virus was found at a farm south of Seoul. The virus is believed to belong to a strain that cannot be passed on to humans - no case has been found among farmers in the affected areas. A similar bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997 was contagious for humans and is believed to have killed several people. At an emergency session held on Sunday, the South Korean government decided to buy and slaughter 2.5 million birds in an effort to contain the virus. South Korea also sent virus samples to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine whether the latest virus was related to the Hong Kong strain. Exports halted Following the outbreak consumption and the prices of chicken and duck meat have dropped considerably. The South Korean Government has deployed hundreds of troops to help slaughter and bury the birds. They have been vaccinated against the virus. Since the outbreak was discovered, the country's chicken and duck exports to Japan, Hong Kong and China have stopped and domestic consumption of birds has slumped. In a effort to show that local poultry was still safe to eat, South Korean Agriculture Minister Huh Sang-man on Friday feasted on a duck lunch with other members of parliament Local producers say the flu might put them out of business in a matter of months. Government officials are looking at migratory birds as a possible cause of the Korean outbreak. -------------- -- Dave Neale Animals Asia Foundation Find out more about the historic China Bear Rescue by visiting the Animals Asia Foundation website at http://www.animalsasia.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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