Biggest, most damaging AI outbreak in S. Korea’s history raging on

Posted on : 2016-12-13 16:31 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
More than 10 million chickens and ducks expected to be culled, with compensation surpassing US$30 million
Nationwide Avian Influenza outbreak
Nationwide Avian Influenza outbreak

The number of chickens and ducks culled amid the nationwide spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) is scheduled to pass 10 million, creating the possibility of the worst damages over the shortest time frame in history. The government passed a “stand still” decision for all poultry-related individuals, vehicles, and items across South Korea for a 40-hour period from midnight on Dec. 13 to midnight on Dec. 15 to stop the AI spread. It’s the third stand still order issued to date for the AI outbreak.

According to Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) figures from Dec. 12, a total of 8.87 million chickens and ducks had been culled after diagnosis or for prevention purposes as of midnight that day. Another 1.54 million are currently awaiting culling. The numbers mean the scale of culling is passing 10 million just 27 days after the first case was identified. They also mean the disappearance of more than 6% of the 155.04 million birds being raised nationwide as of the third quarter of 2016 (including 146.27 million chickens and 8.77 million ducks).

Strictly in terms of culling, the situation is poised to shortly pass the previous worst-ever mark set in 2014, with over 14 million birds put down. During a 195-day AI outbreak from Jan. 16 to Jul. 29 that day, a total of 212 confirmed infections were found and 13.96 million animals culled. With the latest outbreak, the number of animals put down is passing 10 million with just 43 confirmed cases.

“While 2014 was centered on duck farms, this time the damage has been severe to layer chicken farms,” explained a ministry source. “It’s because the scale of layer chicken farming is so large that the number of animals put down is high in comparison to the number of confirmed cases.”

A signboard warning about avian influenza and a grave made for 104
A signboard warning about avian influenza and a grave made for 104

Another reason for the severe damage is the fact that chickens are raised in narrow coops that leave them unable to move around. Layer chickens account for 5,960,000 of the 8,878,000 actually put down to date, or 67%.

Some are suggesting the culling can only do so much when the virus has already spread. But a ministry source explained, “Culling is a matter of removing the infected parts. The best means of preventing AI’s spread is through stand stills, sterilization, and culling.”

Part of the reason the AI has spread so quickly has been the ineffectiveness of government prevention efforts. Since first emerging in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, and Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, AI has reached 23 cities and counties in seven municipalities and provinces nationwide. Confirmed cases have been found at 127 farms, while chickens and ducks have been culled from 228. The government culling focuses on poultry showing any strange signs within a three-kilometer radius of any farm with a confirmed case. Compensation for culling has reached 35 billion won (US$30.1 million).

For farms, the damages are spiraling out of control, prompting fears that the base for raising the birds could be collapsing.

“They’ve said they’re only giving 80% of current damages in compensation. We‘ll have to wait at least six months for an introduction permit, and another seven months after that to ship seed ducks,” said one affected farmer in Naju, South Jeolla, which is South Korea’s biggest duck production region.

“It‘s going to be tough to withstand all the snowballing damages until then,” the farmer said.

Another nearby farmer said, “I’ve taken such care, spraying disinfectant every day. I didn’t do anything wrong, yet [our birds] suffered preventive culling because of a confirmed case at a neighboring farm. It’s very distressing.”

As reasons for the escalating damages, analysts have pointed to a mixture of the H5N6 virus’s high toxicity, inadequacies in the prevention system, and the slow government response. The H5N6 virus is extremely toxic, with infected chickens and ducks often dying en masse.

“With the H5N8 highly pathogenic AI that went around in 2014, clinical symptoms showed up after a relatively long incubation period,” explained a MAFRA source. “This time, the virus is so toxic that hundreds to thousands of birds at one farm died overnight.”

Another factor is the inadequacy of the prevention system, despite AI becoming almost an annual event since 2003. During a debate at the National Assembly on Dec. 7, Chungnam National University veterinary medicine professor Seo Sang-heui said, “By the time you have farmers reporting that their birds are collapsing, the virus has already been released to a tremendous degree.”

“We need to get away from a prevention system that relies of farmer reports and strengthen virus testing at farms,” Seo advised.

Another big issue is short-staffing. During a countermeasures meeting at Gyeonggi Provincial Office on Dec. 12 between Gov. Nam Kyung-pil and local mayors and county mayors, Yeoju Mayor Won Kyeong-hei noted, “There isn’t any preventive culling staff on the ground right now.” The complaint is that with no military presence and rumors that those involved in culling could be infected, staff is harder to come by than in the past.

The government is making active efforts now to stop the AI spread. Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn held a meeting of AI-related ministers on Dec. 12 and ordered a “thorough reexamination for square one on what needs to be added to the AI measures taken by the government to date.” Seoul also plans to expand and reorganize its AI prevention headquarters into a “regional disaster safety measures headquarters.”

By Ahn Kwan-ok, Gwangju correspondent in Naju, and Hong Yong-duk, south Gyeonggi correspondent in Suwon

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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