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South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture reported two additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) on Friday, bringing the nation’s total number of bird flu outbreaks this season to 23. The new infections were confirmed at two separate poultry farms earlier this week.
The first outbreak occurred at a broiler breeder farm in Dangjin, located 79 kilometers south of Seoul, while the second was detected at a meat duck farm in Buan, situated 204 kilometers south of the capital. The central disaster management headquarters for AI outbreaks, which is monitoring the situation, announced that authorities have imposed quarantine measures in the affected regions.
To prevent further transmission of the virus, authorities are currently monitoring 69 poultry farms within the quarantine zones surrounding the infected locations. The response comes as the global spread of the highly pathogenic bird flu virus continues to cause concerns over both animal and human health.
The highly contagious virus has led to mass fatalities in chickens and wild birds across the globe. In addition, the virus has been reported to infect other animals such as seals, cats, and cattle, with a heightened risk of cross-species transmission. This escalation in cases has raised alarm about the potential for the virus to mutate and contribute to a future pandemic.
Earlier this week, the United States reported its first human death from bird flu, or H5N1, in Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that the patient, a person over 65 years old with pre-existing health conditions, had been hospitalized after contracting the virus through exposure to a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.
The department assured the public that no additional human cases of H5N1 have been identified in the state, and that person-to-person transmission has not been observed. While the current public health risk remains low for the general population, officials warn that individuals working closely with birds, poultry, or cattle, or those with recreational exposure, may face a higher risk of contracting the virus.
Since 2024, the US has reported 66 confirmed cases of H5N1 among humans, with 67 total cases since 2022. The World Health Organization has recorded more than 950 confirmed cases of H5N1 globally, approximately half of which have resulted in fatalities. Despite this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that there has been no evidence of widespread person-to-person transmission.
As the situation continues to evolve, authorities are urging people to take precautions to minimize exposure to infected animals and poultry.
