South Korea confirms H5N6 bird flu at duck farm

South Korea confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza (AI) at a duck farm in the southwestern region and culled some 76,000 ducks to prevent the further spread of the virus, the agriculture ministry said.

The H5N6 bird flu was discovered on a farm in Yeongam, some 380 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.

The ministry said 76,000 ducks were slaughtered at five duck farms located within a 3 kilometer radius of the site to prevent a wider spread of the highly contagious virus.

The ministry said the latest outbreak has a high probability of being a highly pathogenic strain, noting it will release the inspection results later in the day.

Quarantine officials issued a transportation ban and stepped up disinfection measures at nearby farms, with in-depth inspections into ducks in the region currently underway, the ministry said.