The number of confirmed bird flu cases reported in the country has risen to 14 since mid-September, as quarantine authorities step up efforts to control the spread of the highly contagious disease, the government said Monday.
  

Since the first suspected avian influenza cases were reported on two duck farms on Sept. 14, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said two outbreaks have been confirmed in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, and 12 cases were reported in the surrounding South Jeolla Province.
  

As of Monday, 196,122 birds have been culled to prevent the spread of AI, it said. Most of the birds culled were ducks, although some chickens have been destroyed.
  

The ministry, which set up a task force to handle the outbreaks, said local poultry wholesalers and middlemen seem to be inadvertently spreading the bird flu virus as they move from one farm to another.
  

"People and vehicles seem to be the main cause of the spread," it said. Officials have hinted that the latest AI cases may have been sparked by a dormant virus from earlier outbreaks.
   

Tests conducted on the virulent AI strain found in the country have indicated that the latest outbreaks are similar to those that hit the country from Sept. 24, 2014, through June 10 of this year.
  

To handle the spread of the bird flu that can wreck havoc on the country's poutry stock, the government said it will conduct checks on all duck farms in the South Jeolla and Gwangju regions this month. It said besides conducting detailed tests, decontamination of farms, holding facilities and traditional markets that handle live birds will be carried out for the southwestern part of the country.
  

In addition, the ministry, which has been creating a database on the latest outbreaks, that include following the movement of wholesalers and the way birds reach consumers, identified other regions that may be vulnerable to AI.
  

"All cases so far have occurred in South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, but this may spread north into North Jeolla Province and parts of North Chungcheong Province," it said.
  

The ministry said these areas have been placed under close observation, with farms being decontaminated as a precautionary measure.
  

The government, meanwhile, said that starting on Dec. 23, poultry farms where outbreaks have occurred more than once will be given less compensation for birds culled, while poultry companies that buy birds from farmers will be obliged to train their suppliers about how to prevent AI, and check to make certain they follow rules. These companies will be obliged to report their activities to local authorities with failure to do so leading to a fine of up to 10 million won ($8,760). (Yonhap)