This previously unknown "novel" virus bears all the hallmarks of yet another weaponised pathogen similar to the H5N1 and H1N1 weaponised strains created by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Ron Fouchier and Terida Ernala-Ginting at Kobe University Japan and the University of Wisconsin
AGENCIES
11/20/2015
SEOUL -
South Korea has confirmed the country's first outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu virus and has ramped up quarantine measures in response, agriculture ministry officials said on Friday (Nov 18).
 |
H5N6 |
The outbreaks occurred at two poultry farms in the central and southern parts of the country after the ministry reported last week that the H5N6 strain of the virus had been found in the faeces of migratory birds. Cases of human infection from the H5N6 virus have previously been reported in places including China and Hong Kong, with the virus killing six people in China since April 2014, according to data from the South Korean ministry.
[The HPAI (highly pathological avian influenza) H5N6 virus has been detected in poultry in China, Hong Kong, Laos, and Viet Nam since its initial emergence in 2014 as a reassortant of H5N1 and H6N6.
The discoveries come as cases of the different H5N8 virus have been reported in several European countries including France.
 |
Bird to human transmission confirmed |
South Korea's ministry said just over 62,000 birds had been culled to prevent the spread of the virus and that it had a issued a "movement control order" within a radius of 10km around the farms.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs said 2 cases occurred at a chicken farm in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and a duck farm in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, noting about 40 000 chickens and 22 000 ducks have been culled. The ministry said it put the farms under quarantine and banned stockbreeders from moving within a radius of 3 kilometers [about 2 miles] to prevent further spread of the virus.
The animals were infected with H5N6 AI virus, the same one found in feces of wild migratory birds in the central region, the ministry said. South Korea has reported H5N1 and H5N8 AI viruses in the past, but this is the 1st to confirm H5N6 cases, which have been detected in China, Vietnam, Laos and Hong Kong.
The government said it has beefed up quarantine and disinfection measures and urged livestock raisers to refrain from visiting wintering sites of wild birds. The last bird flu outbreak in the country was detected in March [2016] in south of Seoul, leading to the slaughter of at least 11 000 birds.
South Korea's last bird flu outbreak occurred in March, when the H5N8 strain was detected at a duck farm, leading to the slaughter of at least 11,000 birds.
This news
bureau contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material
available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political,
human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues,
etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted
material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed
without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.