On the 13th of January, an H5 avian influenza (AI) antigen was detected at a laying hen farm in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. If confirmed as highly pathogenic, it would be the 24th case this winter season. For Eumseong, it’s the third occurrence, and for laying hen farms, it’s the tenth.
According to the Central Accident Management Headquarters for Highly Pathogenic AI (led by Minister Song Mi-ryoung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs), the farm in question houses around 20,000 birds. It is located within 10 kilometers of another laying hen farm in the same area where a highly pathogenic AI case was reported on December 30th last year.
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency is currently conducting detailed examinations to determine the pathogenicity of the detected antigen, a process that could take one to three days.
The Central Accident Management Headquarters considers the possibility of the virus being highly pathogenic if an H5 antigen is detected and has implemented preventative measures by dispatching an initial response team. Measures include controlling access, culling, and conducting epidemiological investigations, in line with the ‘AI Control Guidelines’ and ‘AI Emergency Action SOP’.
Additionally, a “standstill” order has been issued for the movement of poultry, related livestock facilities, and vehicles in Eumseong and seven surrounding cities and counties. This 24-hour movement restriction runs from 11 PM on the 13th to 11 PM on the 14th.
A representative from the headquarters advised avoiding areas where wild birds congregate, ensuring double disinfection of farm vehicles, prohibiting egg transportation vehicles from entering farms, changing into dedicated boots before entering barns, and cleaning and disinfecting machinery and equipment before bringing them into barns, emphasizing the importance of adhering to these basic quarantine rules.
Furthermore, livestock farms were urged to promptly report to the quarantine authorities if they notice not only major symptoms of highly pathogenic AI, such as an increase in deaths, decreased laying rates, or reduced feed intake, but also any mild symptoms.
As of the 13th, there have been 23 reported cases of AI in poultry farms during the 2024-2025 winter period. The infections in 2024 spanned across several regions, including Donghae in Gangwon (October 29), a broiler duck farm in Eumseong, North Chungcheong (November 7), and multiple other locations and dates listed in the report up until December 30. In 2025, cases have been reported in locations such as a laying hen farm in Yeoju, Gyeonggi (January 4) and a broiler duck farm in Buan, North Jeolla (January 10).