Avian Flu Found in Imported Chinese Duck Meat

The deadly avian influenza has been detected in the duck meat imported from China for the first time in Korea. The fatality rate of the avian influenza for infected chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys is 75percent.

The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced yesterday that it has detected the harmful virus in the duck meats produced on April 13 in the Mainland China. NVRQS banned the imports of the Chinese poultry products, such as chicken, geese, turkeys, and ducks and reported to the Chinese Embassy in Korea.

NVRQS also ordered 2,655 tons of poultry products now on storage out of 4,588 tons of imported Chinese frozen poultry products (2,971 tons of duck meats, 1,617 tons of chicken) either to be returned or scrapped. NVRQS has also instructed importers to stop the circulation and to withdraw the already-distributed 1,933 tons of poultry meat voluntarily. NVRQS asked the consumers to return the Chinese poultry dated after March 23 to the store.

Kim Ok-Kyung, director of the NVRQS said that ``the detected virus is the same type as the flu that erupted in Hong Kong May. World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health informed that it is little likely that the virus is harmful to the human body.`` NVRQS announced that the virus is killed with a five-minute heating treatment in 75 degree centigrade water and the domestic poultry goods are safe from disease as there has been no outbreak of the bird flu yet on the Peninsula.

4,312 tons of frozen duck meats and 3,299 tons of chicken were imported from China by the end of May this year. Avian influenza is transmitted through respiratory and physical contacts among the poultries. There are three types of avian influenza. Once infected, symptoms, such as difficulty in breathing and the fall in the rate of laying eggs, appear. Hong Kong ordered the slaughter of 1.5 millions of poultry.

Kim Sang-Chul sckim007@donga.com