South Korea steps up watch for possible AI outbreak

South Korea plans to strengthen its quarantine and inspection efforts to prevent a possible outbreak of avian influenza, the agriculture ministry said Friday, following reports that the virus has killed at least five people in China.The move also comes after Agriculture Minister Lee Dong-phil urged stepped up efforts to prevent the inflow of the deadly virus while visiting a quarantine and inspection office at Seoul's Incheon International Airport."The possibility of an animal disease making its way to the country from a neighboring country, such as China, is growing," he said, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "We must more thoroughly conduct our border inspections."The ministry said it will increase the number of its quarantine and inspection officials from 32 on 16 teams to 48 on 24 teams.It will also intensify its border inspection, especially on people coming from countries with confirmed cases of avian influenza.