On January 9, Park Jung-hoon, Director of the Food Policy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, visited the disinfection facility and control post in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, to inspect the avian influenza prevention and control measures in Gyeonggi Province and Yeoju. This inspection was conducted due to the multiple outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in laying hen farms in Gyeonggi Province.
According to the ’25/’26 winter season outbreak status in Gyeonggi Province, 7 out of 9 cases (78%) occurred in laying hen farms, with 6 cases (67%) occurring in farms with more than 100,000 hens. During the visit, Gyeonggi Province and Yeoju quarantine officials reported on the strengthened inspections and checks on large-scale laying hen farms and farms within the outbreak zones, as well as the intensive disinfection measures in high-risk areas.
Director Park explained that this winter is particularly dangerous as three serotypes (H5N1, H5N6, H5N9) were identified in wild birds for the first time in Korea, and the infection rate is more than 10 times higher than usual, making it easy to spread with a small amount. He urged for strengthened quarantine measures to prevent the spread, emphasizing that January, like December, is a high-risk period for avian influenza outbreaks.
After inspecting the control post at the entrance of a laying hen farm in Yeoju, Director Park emphasized that Gyeonggi Province accounts for 24% of the nation’s laying hen population, and therefore, inspections, checks, and disinfection should be strengthened to prevent further outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. He also urged the management of basic quarantine rules through the operation of farm supervisors, ensuring strict control and disinfection of livestock vehicles entering laying hen farms. Additionally, despite the expected difficulties in quarantine management due to the drop in temperature in January, he stressed the importance of thorough preparation by all poultry farms and related personnel to prevent further outbreaks.