The on-going outbreak of avian influenza has not shown any signs of abating as of Tuesday.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry announced five new cases of suspected bird flu as of early Tuesday morning.

All five of the cases were reported in a neighborhood within 10 kilometers of the duck farms in Sanpo County, South Jeolla Province, where an outbreak of the bird flu had already been confirmed.

The newly infected farms include five different duck farms scattered in the vicinity of Naju City, in the same county.

The total number of duck reared in the areas of South Jeolla Province is 3.82 million, accounting for 48.8 percent of the entire country's stock, and widespread infection might place the nation's duck industry in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, North Gyeongyang Province began slaughtering chickens and ducks exhibiting symptoms of the virus in farms of Kyungju City area Tuesday.

Soldiers and quarantine officials blocked off the areas and disposed of some 200,000 chickens and ducks in Angang county, Kyungju City. The burial work is to be completed by December 25th.