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Bird flu virus in S. Korea a type that caused no human infection: report
SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- The strain of avian influenza that broke out in South Korea this year is a type that has not caused any human infections worldwide, as opposed to the kind found in Southeast Asia, the quarantine service said Friday.
The strain of bird flu that has swept the country for the past five weeks is different from those found in Indonesia and Vietnam, where the disease has been transmitted to humans, resulting in death, according to an intermediary report by the National Veterinary Research Quarantine Service.
The report also said that this year's outbreak was different from the strains that occurred in 2003 and 2006 in South Korea.
Despite culling millions of birds since early April, this year's bird flu outbreak is expected to be the worst in the country's history, with damages exceeding 100 billion won (US$95.7 million).
The disease has been reported almost nationwide, with cities including Seoul and Busan reporting cases of the dangerous H5N1 bird flu, which can be transmitted to humans. Only the southern resort island of Jeju remains unaffected.
The government has tallied 42 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, and 8-9 million birds have been destroyed so far.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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