A confirmed case of highly pathogenic AI with a cold wind...A 'tactile' to the possibility of human infection.

[Anchor]
As the cold wind began to blow, a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza and AI was confirmed in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do.

There was no AI in Korea yet, but quarantine authorities are on edge as there have been a series of cases worldwide where AI has been transmitted to mammals such as cats and even humans.

Reporter Baek Jong-gyu's report.

[Reporter]
Recently, H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza was identified in wild bird feces downstream from Mangyeonggang River in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do.

Migratory birds have begun to visit Korea to spend the winter, and the government has raised crisis warnings and started strengthening wild birds and farm quarantine.

[Park Bum-soo / Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (last 10 days): The virus is brought by migratory birds, but it will be these vehicles that bring it into the farm. Management of that is very important.

High pathogenic AI is classified as H5N1 consisting of H5 and N1 types.

Until now, chickens, ducks, and wild birds have been mainly infected, but
It is a zoonotic disease that spreads to humans beyond mammals such as cats and pigs, and the number of cases of human infection is actually increasing.

The World Health Organization says there have been 889 cases of human avian influenza infection in 23 countries between early 2003 and early April.

No cases have been reported in Korea yet.

However, once infected, the fatality rate is high, so we cannot rest assured.

According to reports of overseas human infection cases, 466 people died out of 902 people infected with H5N1, with a fatality rate of 51.7%.

Due to the high fatality rate, there are concerns that highly pathogenic avian influenza may become a pandemic like COVID-19 if virus mutations continue.

[Um Jung-sik/Professor of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Hospital: Even the influenza A H5N1 mutation, which is considered a candidate for the next pandemic, is almost certain to spread from person to person]

Accordingly, the government has also decided to strengthen quarantine and take active measures.

Quarantine authorities say that AI human infections often have ophthalmic characteristics such as conjunctivitis,

If you experience such symptoms after contacting wild birds or poultry, you must report them.

I'm BAEK JONG KYU of YTN.