South Korea Reports 37th Bird Flu Case, Expands Quarantine to 21 Farms

Updated 2026-01-20 11:17:00+00:00 (15 articles)

New Infection Detected at Gokseong Duck Farm fresh avian influenza case emerged at a duck farm in Gokseong, roughly 250 km south of Seoul, where approximately 27,000 ducks are raised. Authorities immediately restricted access to the site and began culling infected birds to halt transmission. An investigation into the outbreak’s origin has been launched alongside intensified on‑site monitoring. [1]

Season Totals Rise to 37 Confirmed Cases The Gokseong incident pushes the nationwide seasonal tally to 37 laboratory‑confirmed bird flu cases among poultry. Officials emphasize that the figure reflects a continued spread across multiple regions despite existing containment measures. Ongoing surveillance programs are being intensified at both affected and neighboring farms. [1]

Authorities Extend Quarantine to 21 Nearby Farms 10‑kilometer quarantine zone now encompasses 21 poultry farms, each assigned dedicated officials to conduct daily health checks. Intensive disease‑control inspections are also scheduled at 60 duck farms linked to the same corporate affiliates as the Gokseong operation. These steps aim to prevent further escalation and ensure rapid detection of any secondary infections. [1]

Investigation Launched Into Outbreak Source Veterinary and epidemiology teams are tracing potential vectors, including feed, equipment, and personnel movements, to pinpoint how the virus entered the Gokseong facility. Preliminary findings will inform future biosecurity protocols across the sector. The investigation remains ongoing, with results expected to shape national response strategies. [1]

Sources (1 articles)

[1]
Yonhap: South Korea Confirms New Bird Flu Case, Total 37 This Season – Reports the detection of a new case at Gokseong duck farm, raises the seasonal total to 37, and details expanded quarantine measures covering 21 farms within a 10‑km radius and intensive checks at 60 affiliate farms.
2026-01-20 11:17:00+00:00

Timeline

Dec 9, 2025 – South Korea reports its eighth highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection at a duck farm in Yeongam, marking the season’s first duck‑farm outbreak. Authorities issue a nationwide 24‑hour standstill on all duck farms, related facilities and vehicles to halt virus spread. Inspectors begin intensive checks of regional duck farms and advise farmers to avoid migratory‑bird habitats and change shoes before entering barns. The case underscores the expanding geographic reach of the outbreak into the southwest.  [15]

Dec 10, 2025 – Two additional HPAI cases are confirmed at a layer chicken farm in Cheonan and another farm in Anseong, bringing the season total to ten. The agriculture ministry orders entry controls, culling and disinfection, and an official urges farms to strengthen quarantine measures to protect surrounding areas.  [14]

Dec 15, 2025 – A eleventh HPAI case emerges at a broiler breeder farm in Namwon, prompting a response team to cordon off the site and conduct culling. Officials impose a 24‑hour movement ban on livestock facilities and vehicles in the neighboring counties of Gurye, Gokseong, Hadong and Hamyang. The action reflects heightened containment after a cluster of infections in South Jeolla Province.  [13]

Dec 17, 2025 – Two new HPAI infections are detected at layer farms in Goesan (North Chungcheong) and Cheonan (South Chungcheong), raising the tally to fourteen. Cheonan’s farm records its fourth case since 2020, highlighting a recurring vulnerability. Special quarantine inspections and vehicle‑monitoring measures are deployed, and nationwide laying‑hen farm inspections continue through year‑end.  [12]

Dec 21, 2025 – The sixteenth HPAI case surfaces at a duck farm in Naju (South Jeolla) with roughly 23,000 birds, prompting special quarantine measures and intensified monitoring of related facilities. Authorities announce intensive inspections at more than 200 duck farms across the region to curb further transmission.  [11]

Dec 22, 2025 – A seventeenth HPAI case is confirmed at a quail farm in Jincheon (North Chungcheong), bringing the season total to seventeen. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters tightens quarantine and vehicle checks at the site while planning comprehensive inspections of all laying‑hen farms nationwide through the end of the year.  [10]

Dec 24, 2025 – Three new HPAI cases are identified at a chicken farm in Anseong and duck farms in Gochang and Naju, raising the count to twenty‑one. Entry restrictions, culling and investigations commence, and additional inspections target duck farms in North Jeolla and the Anseong‑Cheonan area.  [9]

Dec 27, 2025 (08:14 UTC) – A new HPAI case is reported at a chicken farm in Asan (85 km south of Seoul), bringing the season total to twenty‑three. Authorities restrict entry, begin culling and issue a temporary standstill on nearby facilities and farming vehicles.  [8]

Dec 27, 2025 (11:10 UTC) – Two more HPAI infections are confirmed—one at a chicken farm in Yeongam and another at the Asan farm reported earlier—pushing the total to twenty‑four. Containment measures, including entry bans and standstill orders, are applied across the affected southern counties.  [7]

Dec 29, 2025 – Two additional HPAI cases emerge at a duck farm in Eumseong (North Chungcheong) and a chicken farm in Naju (South Jeolla), raising the season tally to twenty‑six. Access to both sites is restricted, culling begins, and vehicle access is barred at a nearby chicken farm in Pyeongtaek, illustrating tightening containment.  [6]

Jan 5, 2026 (06:10 UTC) – The government announces special quarantine measures for the next two weeks as farm cases climb to thirty and wild‑bird cases reach twenty‑two. Officials note the first simultaneous detection of three H5 strains (H5N1, H5N6, H5N9), with H5N1 described as ten times more infectious than in prior years. Inspectors will visit 539 layer farms (each housing >50,000 hens) and intensify road disinfection near migratory‑bird habitats and random vehicle checks.  [5]

Jan 5, 2026 (11:21 UTC) – Updated figures show 32 farm infections and 22 wild‑bird cases; the Central Disaster Management Headquarters confirms the three‑strain outbreak as a first in the country. A plan to dispatch inspectors to all 539 large‑scale layer farms proceeds, alongside expanded road‑side disinfection and vehicle inspections to block cross‑contamination.  [4]

Jan 6, 2026 – The thirty‑third HPAI case is confirmed at a quail farm in Okcheon (North Chungcheong) with 500,000 birds, prompting a 24‑hour standstill for all chicken and quail operations in the province and neighboring areas. Officials highlight that this is Okcheon’s first HPAI detection since December 2016, underscoring the re‑emergence of the virus in a previously disease‑free zone. Disinfection teams mobilize in nearby cities such as Gumi.  [3]

Jan 9, 2026 – A new HPAI case is identified at a duck farm in Naju, increasing the season total to thirty‑four and confirming spread to more than twenty cities and counties. The government launches a nationwide intensive inspection program for breeder duck farms and hatcheries to catch further infections early.  [2]

Jan 20, 2026 – The latest outbreak is detected at a duck farm in Gokseong (≈250 km south of Seoul), bringing the season‑wide tally to thirty‑seven confirmed cases. Authorities expand the containment zone to 21 farms within a 10‑km radius, deploy officials to monitor them, and conduct intensive checks at 60 affiliated duck farms, aiming to prevent wider dissemination.  [1]