South Korea free of bird flu 18 Aug 2008

Agriculture Ministry's chief veterinary officer, Kim Chang-seob, said the declaration will be reported to the OIE, which has reportedly been at the forefront of global efforts to monitor and fight H5N1 bird flu.

Under the OIE's regulations, a country can officially declare itself free of bird flu if no new cases of the disease have been found for 3 months.

In early April, South Korea confirmed its first outbreak of H5N1 this year. No new outbreaks have been found since May 12, according to the ministry.