The first confirmed outbreak of bird flu this year was at a poultry farm in Gimje, North Jeolla, on April 1.
Public concern over the spread of bird flu reached a peak when the disease moved closer to the metropolitan area one month later.
In August, the government declared itself a bird flu “clean zone” after three months without a confirmed case of a human infection.
A total of 43 confirmed H5N1 outbreaks of avian flu were reported across the nation from April to July, resulting in the culling of 8.46 million birds at a cost of around 264 billion won, which was a sharp blow to the poultry and state zoo industry.
This year’s outbreak of bird flu was the most serious in Korea with 33 cases of the virulent H5N1 strain that can be transmitted to humans.
The Jakarta Post is more upbeat about Indonesia's year:
There were no devastating earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions, and there were no deadly plane crashes, train collisions or sinking ships.
We have had our share of floods but not as severe as was experienced in other parts of Asia. And the bird flu epidemic has largely been brought under control.
