Anseong City Goes All Out to Block Highly Pathogenic AI, Special Inspections at 91 Poultry Farms

City to Install Unmanned Access-Control Posts
Cleanup at Migratory Bird Habitats
24-Hour Emergency Response

Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, headed by Mayor Kim Bora, is strengthening biosecurity measures, including special inspections of poultry farms and environmental cleanup at migratory bird habitats, to prevent the introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).

Anseong City, led by Mayor Kim Bora, is stepping up preventive measures against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), including special inspections of poultry farms and environmental cleanup at migratory bird habitats. Provided by Anseong City.

After highly pathogenic AI was recently detected in wild bird droppings at Suncheon Bay in South Jeolla Province, prompting the crisis alert level to be raised from "caution" to "serious," the city activated its Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and has been operating a situation room for livestock infectious diseases around the clock.

Last December, highly pathogenic AI broke out at three layer farms in Anseong. To prevent a recurrence, the city is analyzing outbreaks among domestic poultry farms and wild birds, as well as migratory bird routes, and is focusing on managing vulnerable farms, including large-scale layer farms.

The city has completed special biosecurity inspections at 91 poultry farms, including large-scale layer and duck farms. It plans to strengthen controls on vehicle and outside personnel access by installing unmanned access-control posts at four farms that raise at least 200,000 laying hens each.

The city is also carrying out environmental cleanup at migratory bird habitats and around farms. It plans to open sluice gates at river weirs along major migratory bird habitats, including Anseongcheon and Cheongmicheon, to reduce the time migratory birds stay in the area. It will also plow farmland around large-scale layer and duck farms to change conditions for wild birds to forage.

Two disinfection stations are operating around the clock. The city is assigning a dedicated official to each poultry farm and deploying 21 disinfection vehicles to step up disinfection, while maintaining access controls at migratory bird habitats.

Anseong Mayor Kim Bora said, "Since highly pathogenic AI broke out in the city last year, thorough biosecurity measures and proactive management of vulnerable areas are crucial. I urge farms to strictly follow basic biosecurity protocols, including controlling vehicle and outside personnel access, disinfecting the inside and outside of farms, and preventing wild birds from approaching."

She added, "If suspected symptoms appear, such as an increase in poultry deaths or a decline in egg production, please report them to Anseong City immediately."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.