South Korean outbreak caused by virulent H5N1
New Sabah Times, 26 Nov 2006

SEOUL: An outbreak of bird flu at a South Korean chicken farm was caused by the virulent H5N1 virus, a health official said Saturday.

“It was confirmed as the H5N1 strain but we need more tests to identify whether it is low pathogenic or highly pathogenic,” said Kim Jae-hong, a senior researcher at the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service.

The results of lab tests to determine the strain’s pathology were expected to be announced later Saturday, officials said.

The outbreak occurred at a chicken farm in Iksan, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Seoul, earlier this week, resulting in the deaths of 6,700 chickens. Quarantine officials were slaughtering an additional 6,300 chickens to prevent the virus from spreading.

Quarantine officials in Iksan said they will slaughter chickens and ducks as well as dogs, pigs and cats within a 500-meter (1,650-foot) radius if the virus turns out to be a highly pathogenic variety of H5N1, said Kim Joo-il, an official at Iksan city hall.

Kim said the owner of the chicken farm has so far showed no signs of illness.

South Korea killed 5.3 million birds during the last known outbreak of bird flu in 2003.