South Korea culls 2pc of poultry to curb fears of H5N8 bird flu outbreak
An outbreak of H5N8 bird flu has driven the authorities in South Korea to cull poultry, prompting fears among consumers and a decline in sales
South Korea has culled 2 per cent of its poultry population of 160 million to rein in the spread of bird flu, which is affecting an increasing number of farms, although there has been no human case, farm ministry officials said on Thursday.
Authorities said a poultry farmer had committed suicide in the province where the disease broke out, possibly out of frustration over declining sales of meat shunned by consumers fearing contamination.
“Consumption has tumbled, causing huge indirect damage to the industry, although retail prices remain almost unchanged,” said an agriculture ministry source who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The reason for the suicide has yet to be determined, he added.
South Korea’s first case of H5N8 bird flu – a different strain from that which caused deaths elsewhere in Asia – was found on January 17 at a duck farm in North Jeolla, a province about 300km southwest of the capital, Seoul.
Fifteen poultry farms have been hit and 19 cases of the disease have shown up in migratory birds, prompting the slaughter of 2.8 million farm birds by Wednesday, ministry data shows.
“Lately I think it over when there’s chicken on the menu and then I eat something else.”