SEOUL, South Korea — The year of the rooster looks set for a gloomy start. Egg prices are soaring and new year’s festivals are being canceled as South Korea fights its worst bird flu outbreak in a decade.
South Korea’s government said Tuesday that about 26 million head of poultry will be culled by today, including about one-third of the country’s egg-laying hens, after the H5N6 strain of avian influenza was found in farms and parks.
The latest outbreak, first reported on Nov. 17, is the worst in South Korea among six since 2003. The highly contagious influenza has spread to all provinces including a major park in south of Seoul and a scenic wetland area in the south. No human cases have been reported.
The bird flu and the subsequent slaughters have reduced supplies: As of Friday, egg prices paid by wholesalers had almost doubled from a year earlier while prices paid by consumers jumped 30 percent.
