From now on, South Korean farms hit by outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and found to have biosecurity failings will have their compensation reduced accordingly.
Since October of 2024, there has been a steady rise in the number of HPAI outbreaks in South Korean poultry flocks.
Currently standing at a total of 19, outbreaks at 15 of the farms with positive cases for H5N1 virus serotype were confirmed during the month of December, according to the agriculture ministry.
Investigations following each outbreak may indicate a failure in biosecurity at the affected premises. Combined with a growing number of wild birds testing positive for the virus, this indicates a high probability of further poultry outbreaks in the coming weeks.
Ministry investigations were carried out at 15 infected farms. Among the frequently observed procedural issues were failures to disinfect vehicles entering and leaving the premises, and to wear farm-specific clothing and footwear. Maintaining the correct concentration of disinfectant was also a common fault.
In order to encourage compliance with the required standards, the ministry has announced that financial compensation for poultry that have to be culled as the result of an outbreak will in future be reduced. Depending on the number and type of failures discovered at the farm, deductions will be made incrementally from the payment. For example, failure to adhere to disinfection requirements for vehicles at farm entrances and exits will lead to a 20% reduction from the livestock valuation, as will evidence of inadequate within-farm hygiene procedures.
Rising HPAI outbreak totals in East Asia
Latest update from the South Korean agriculture ministry puts the nation’s outbreak total since the autumn/fall at 19 (as of January 3).
Occurring in nine provinces/city regions, the outbreaks have been widely distributed geographically, and affected different types of poultry. So far, outbreaks have been confirmed in eight flocks of laying hens, seven of meat ducks, two of native chickens, and one each of broiler breeders and layer breeders.
Official reports from the national veterinary agency to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) cover the first 15 outbreaks in the series. Starting up to December 22, these directly impacted close to 787,000 poultry.
Subsequent outbreaks confirmed by the ministry involved around 99,000 additional commercial birds.
Japan’s latest notification of HPAI outbreaks in poultry to WOAH brought the nation’s total since mid-October to 15.
Most recent H5N1 cases reported were confirmed at a farm in Kagoshima prefecture on December 19 after 500 broilers died. With some of the details incomplete, more than 1.24 million poultry had been lost to the disease through mortality or culling.
Since that WOAH notification was posted, the Japanese ministry of agriculture has confirmed a further three outbreaks. Bringing the season’s total to 18 so far, these all involved laying hens in different prefectures and regions of the country, but all on the main island of Honshu.
In the Republic of China, more than 5,200 black-feathered chickens were culled last month after HPAI infection was confirmed, according to Taiwan News. Authorities were reported to be carrying out surveillance testing at 55 adjacent farms in the western county of Yunlin.
Up to mid-December, Taiwan’s animal health agency had registered with WOAH eight outbreak linked to the H5N1 virus serotype in the territory since June of 2024.
Other HPAI developments in the Asia-Pacific region
From the far west of this region, Israel’s veterinary authority has confirmed to WOAH a fifth HPAI outbreak involving the H5N1 virus variant in poultry.
It involved a flock of 6,640 mature breeding turkeys in the region of Haifa. Around 140 of the birds died. Surrounding the farm are aquaculture ponds frequented by wild birds, according to the report.
In Southeast Asia, first HPAI cases of 2024 were detected late last month in Banten province in Indonesia. A total of 102 cases were recorded in this westernmost province on the island of Java, according to the national animal health information system. There were also 63 more cases in Central Java.
These brought Indonesia’s total outbreaks for last year to 36, involving 5,518 cases across six provinces, according to this source.
Over recent months, the number of active HPAI outbreaks in the Philippines has been low and stable, based on reports from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). Since the start of December, the situation has been described as “on-going,” involving one duck farm in Bulacan, a province in Central Luzon.
However, a second outbreak was recorded for one week last month — also affecting ducks but in Camarines Norte. This province is in the Bicol region in the south of Luzon. The H5N2 HPAI virus was confirmed at the farm.
This outbreak was not included in the latest BAI update on the current HPAI situation in the Philippines (dated December 13). However, the adjacent province of Albay closed its borders to live birds and poultry products from Camarines Norte, according to an official Philippine News Agency report dated December 16.
In New Zealand, the latest update from the Ministry for Primary Industries (dated December 24) reports that the earlier HPAI outbreak has been effectively stamped out.
At the start of December, the country’s first HPAI outbreak linked to the H7N6 virus serotype was confirmed at a farm in East Otago on the South Island.
Since then, the ministry reports that thousands of samples taken from the affected premises — Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove farm — and elsewhere have all been negative for the virus. By the end of the incubation period, no sign of the virus was detected there, or at other company premises, or in the surrounding area.
Cleaning and disinfection of the site was expected to continue at the affected site for some time before restocking can be carried out.
Update on influenza A(H5N1) virus in horses, humans
Recent research by the University of Glasgow reveals that H5N1 virus variant can infect horses.
Studies with its international partners found the virus to be circulating undetected in horses in Mongolia. Although they showed no symptoms, the animals tested positive for this virus in different areas and over multiple years.
In 2024, Australia recorded its first ever human case linked to the influenza A(H5N1) virus. The patient was a young child, who first showed symptoms while traveling in India.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus involved in that case was a previously unreported reassortment of clade 2.3.2.1a, clade 2.3.4.4b, and gene fragments from a low-pathogenic avian flu virus circulating in wild birds.
Based on these results, the authors call for greater surveillance of circulating flu viruses.
Previously, it was reported the patient was a previously healthy two-and-a-half-year-old girl who travelled to Kolkata, India, with her parents during February. On their return to Australia in early March, she became so unwell that she required mechanical ventilation in hospital and antiviral medication. She recovered, and was discharged from hospital after about 17 days.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation in poultry, and on disease developments in the U.S. dairy sector.
