The nation has confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in South Chungcheong Province. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Sunday, the case was detected at a farm in Seosan with 28-thousand ducks, during a pre-shipment inspection prior to slaughter. 

It is the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic bird blu in June since 2017, as the virus typically spreads in colder weather. 

The latest case comes 56 days after the previous case was reported at a chicken farm in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, April 19. 

The ministry said only 45 cases of highly pathogenic bird blu have been reported in June since the first outbreak in 2003, accounting for just three-point-three percent of the total.

The ministry upgraded its crisis response level for the disease by one notch from the lowest in the four-tier system, “attention,” to “caution.”