Authorities in South Korea have reported three outbreaks of HPAI over the past week. Two cases were diagnosed in Kyonggi-do with 240,000 and 257,000 birds respectively and a case in Kyongsanbuk-do with a flock of 368,000 birds, all presumably laying hens.

The pattern in 2024 is following the incidence rate recorded in the 2020 – 2021 epornitic preceding the Lunar New Year requiring depletion of 20 million hens, ducks and broilers by the end of January 2022. This necessitated importation of shell eggs including airfreight consignments from the U.S. Until flocks were reestablished, South Korea imported shell eggs and egg products from suppliers including the U.S.

Coincident with the migration of waterfowl and marine birds in southeast Asia outbreaks have occurred recently in Japan, Taiwan and Laos.

Location of Kyongsangbuk-do on Korean Peninsula

Location of Kyonggi-do (province) on Korean Peninsula