USFK issues bird flu warning

[unhappycamper]

USFK issues bird flu warning
By Ashley Rowland, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, April 9, 2008

SEOUL — U.S. Forces Korea officials are warning the military community to avoid undercooked chicken and eggs in off-base establishments as South Korea battles two avian flu outbreaks.

South Korean officials have destroyed 308,000 chickens since late last week to contain an outbreak at a farm about 10 to 20 miles from Kunsan Air Base. About 6,500 ducks also were destroyed Saturday at the location of a second outbreak — at Jeongeup poultry farm — according to The Associated Press.

There have been no reports of human infection with the H5N1 bird flu virus during the latest outbreaks, said Terry Klein, an 18th Medical Command regional emerging infectious disease consultant.

Klein said Monday that the South Korean government took rapid steps to stop the outbreaks, and has successfully contained earlier outbreaks.

“If you look at the maps of what happened previously, it happened spottily. It happened in one location and didn’t migrate,” he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53910