Seoul: South Korea has confirmed four additional highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) cases in less than a week, the agriculture ministry said Monday, raising the total cases for the season to 41. The four cases have been reported at poultry farms in three adjacent cities in the central region — Cheonan, Sejong, and Cheongju — since Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the latest case broke out Friday at a poultry farm in Sejong, which has some 89,000 chickens. It marks the 41st case of highly pathogenic bird flu the country has confirmed since reporting its first outbreak for the season on Oct. 29. Authorities said they have been taking necessary measures to prevent further spread of the virus, asking livestock industry workers across the nation to sterilize their farms, facilities, and cars by Wednesday.

The ministry said the latest AI cases are expected to have limited impact on the domestic supply of eggs, but they will continue to monitor the situation. Some 1.8 percent of 77.6 million chickens at poultry farms nationwide have been culled since late October due to the bird flu, according to the ministry.