First highly pathogenic AI outbreak this winter at a laying hen farm in Yeoncheon... Strengthening nationwide quarantine (comprehensive)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Se-rin = Highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) occurred for the first time this winter at a laying hen farm in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, and quarantine authorities decided to strengthen quarantine management for poultry farms and livestock facilities across the country.

According to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Central Accident Control Headquarters on the 4th, highly pathogenic AI (H5N9 type) was confirmed at a farm in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, where about 91,000 laying hens are raised.

This is the first case of highly pathogenic AI occurring in a domestic poultry farm during the winter season of 2026-2027.

At the farm in question, as chicken deaths increased, the farm owner reported it to the Gyeonggi Northern Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory, and as a result of a detailed examination, it was confirmed to be highly pathogenic AI that day.

Immediately after the H5 type antigen was confirmed, Jungsubon dispatched an initial response team to the farm and implemented quarantine measures such as access control, culling, and epidemiological investigation.

For 24 hours from 11 a.m. on this day to 11 a.m. on the 5th, a temporary movement suspension order was issued to poultry farms, slaughterhouses, feed factories, and other related livestock facilities and livestock vehicles nationwide.

A detailed inspection will be conducted on 17 poultry farms in the quarantine area within a 10km radius of the outbreak farm, and a dedicated officer will be assigned to each farm to intensively manage the implementation of quarantine measures, such as controlling the movement of people and vehicles and disinfecting.

In addition, management will be strengthened in 14 densely populated poultry farm areas nationwide and large-scale laying hen farms with more than 100,000 birds.

In particular, it was decided to install control posts at large laying hen farms raising more than 200,000 chickens, and to strengthen pre-registration and access control of external personnel such as egg transport vehicles and vaccination teams.

Local governments conduct special inspections every week on laying hen farms across the country, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Quarantine Headquarters, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety also conduct joint special inspections.

The two weeks from this day to the 17th will be designated as 'National Disinfection Week' and disinfection of poultry farms, livestock facilities, vehicles, etc. will be strengthened.

Available disinfection resources will also be invested in migratory bird habitats across the country, roads around small rivers and reservoirs, and entrance roads to poultry farms.

According to the Joongsubon, there were a total of 62 cases of highly pathogenic AI that occurred in domestic poultry farms during the winter season of 2025-2026, of which half, or 31 cases, occurred in laying hen farms. In particular, 17 cases occurred at large laying hen farms raising more than 100,000 chickens.

Park Jeong-hoon, head of the food policy office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "There is great concern that this highly pathogenic AI occurred in a laying hen farm that suffered a lot of damage last season. As this is a serious situation in which additional outbreaks can occur in any region of the country, we ask that you control the entry of people and vehicles and thoroughly disinfect the inside and outside of the farm and roads around migratory bird habitats."