The Agriculture Ministry confirmed on Friday a new case of bird flu in the central region of the nation, as reports of suspected cases continue to pile up.

The ministry said that the new infection had been confirmed at a chicken farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and stated that it is conducting tests on four more suspected cases from Cheonan and other cities outside the province.

The bird flu, which was first reported at a duck farm in central South Korea last week, has spread to the country