SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea Monday (December 26) mobilized the armed forces to participate actively in its largest poultry, as high-communicable avian flu continues, ordering the re-destruction of 1.6 million birds in affected areas within 24 hours.

In a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the latest culling resulted in a total of 26 million bird flu confirmed for the first time on 18 November.

Isolation and hygiene restrictions have been imposed after the initial case, but the flu has spread.

South Korea’s military has been on the affected facilities to maintain vigilance, the South Korean military will now actively help to destroy birds and disinfection of farms to speed up the slaughter. Culls announced it took two or three days to complete, because of the lack of manpower, it said.

The rapid spread of the H5N6 strain of the virus has enabled Seoul to raise its avian flu alert to the highest possible level for the first time. The mobilization of the armed forces is a fear of epidemics in Northeast Asia, and Japan and China are also curbing the spread of avian flu.

According to the ministry statement, more than 78 percent of South Korea’s birds that have been eliminated are laying hens. With the tight supply of eggs, the ministry said it would temporarily remove tariffs on imported eggs and also subsidize some freight to ease the shortage.

South Korea since November 18 has not found any human infection, and China is different. Last week, China confirmed the first two deaths this winter from the H7N9 avian flu strain.

The most recent outbreak of bird flu in mainland China occurred between late 2013 and early 2014, killing 36 people and costing the agricultural sector more than $ 6 billion.