Government Emphasizes Prevention Amid Bird Flu Fears

The government yesterday decided to designate the period from next month to the end of next February as a “special preventive period” in a bid to prevent avian flu that is spreading in Southeast Asia and Europe.

Chickens and ducks from a total of 21 cities and counties, including Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province, and Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, where bird flu had broken out in the past, should be thoroughly inspected twice per day during this period.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have decided to run the Joint Countermeasure Committee for Epidemics Infecting Both Human and Animals at ordinary times. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention has decided to operate a monitoring office around-the-clock.

During a meeting to review preventive measures for bird flu, which was presided over by Choi Gyeong-su, the deputy manager of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and which was also attended by first-level officials of related ministries, at a special office of the Central Government Complex in Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, yesterday, the government decided the above.

The government decided to conduct an examination of bird excrement in 24 regions where migratory birds arrive in order to confirm whether bird flu has broken out in an early stage.

On top of that, the government plans to carry out an all-out examination of wild birds in some regions off-limits to citizens near DMZ. Duck farms and slaughterhouses will be subject to serum tests.

Hyung-June Park lovesong@donga.com