The number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) cases at poultry farms in the country has risen to 24.

According to the Central Disaster and Countermeasures Headquarters on AI on Saturday, cases at a duck farm in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, have been confirmed as a highly pathogenic H5 AI infection.

The new case brought the season’s confirmed cases at poultry farms to 24 since the first case was confirmed at a duck farm in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on December 4.

The 24 cases include those from 12 chicken farms and ten duck farms.

Authorities sent an initial response team to the farm that is raising some 22-thousand ducks in order to implement quarantine measures, including cordoning off the affected farms, conducting an epidemiologic study and culling chickens.