S. Korea reports season’s first avian influenza case

The agricultural ministry said Wednesday that it has confirmed the season's first highly pathogenic avian influenza case at a local farm and issued a standstill order on poultry farms nationwide. The case was reported Tuesday at a poultry farm in Donghae, about 185 kilometers east of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It marked the first confirmed case this fall season, with the last case being reported in May. The agricultural ministry said it has culled 780 chickens and ducks at the affected farm. The ministry added it has issued a standstill order on all poultry farms across the country and that it plans to bolster disinfection measures at local habitats for migratory birds. Source: Yonhap News Agency