South Korea has reported four additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in poultry since early December, bringing the total number of farm outbreaks to 10 since the start of autumn in mid-September. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, nearly 663,000 birds across five provinces and major cities have been affected through mortality or mandatory culling.
Among the newly confirmed cases is the country’s first duck outbreak of the season, involving approximately 20,600 birds at a farm in South Jeolla Province. Two further outbreaks were detected at laying hen operations: one affecting 32,200 hens in South Chungcheong Province — the first confirmed case in that area — and another involving 26,400 hens in Gyeonggi Province.
South Korea has also detected multiple avian influenza variants among wild birds. While H5N1 remains the dominant strain, national authorities have confirmed single cases of H5N6 and H5N9. Notably, H5N6 had not been detected in the country for more than 18 months, raising concerns over viral diversity and the risk of broader spread.
Japan confirms sixth poultry outbreak of the season
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has confirmed its sixth H5N1 outbreak of the season, this time on a broiler farm in western Honshu. The affected flock consisted of around 75,500 chickens in the city of Yonago, marking the first detection in Tottori Prefecture and the wider Chugoku region this season.
Earlier outbreaks were recorded across multiple regions, from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the southwest, indicating wide geographic dispersal of the virus.
Philippines reports two active outbreaks
The Philippines continues to record ongoing H5N1 activity, with cases reported within the past month across three municipalities. According to the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry, two affected farms are located on Luzon island: one involving point-of-lay chickens and ducks in the Cagayan Valley region, and another affecting broiler breeders in Central Luzon. The first outbreak began on November 7.
Despite these detections, no human infections with avian-origin influenza A viruses have been reported anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region in the past week.
As surveillance intensifies across the region, veterinary authorities are urging producers to strengthen on-farm biosecurity, limit movement of birds and equipment, and report abnormal mortality immediately. Continued monitoring remains crucial as winter conditions heighten the risk of further spread.
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