Seoul: South Korea reported its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza for this year, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and step up quarantine measures, authorities said Saturday. The case was found at a poultry farm in Paju, north of Seoul, and authorities were carrying out quarantine measures, including access restrictions, culling, and epidemiological investigations, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this is the first case detected for this season, coming earlier than in recent years where outbreaks have typically occurred in October or November. The authorities have responded by raising the alert level from "attention" to "caution."

Authorities plan to inspect chicken farms in Gyeonggi Province, where Paju is located, as well as poultry vendors at traditional markets and livestock transport vehicles nationwide to check disinfection and quarantine measures, the ministry said.