South Korea confirmed a highly pathogenic avian influenza case in a wild bird for the first time in seven months, raising concerns over a possible transmission to poultry farms, the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.

The latest case was found in the central city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, which marks the first avian influenza case since March 30 this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

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The Ministry raised the warning to the highest level of red and implemented thorough quarantine and safety measures, such as cordoning off a radius of 500 metres from where infected cases were found and restricting movement to and from nearby farms for 21 days, reports Yonhap News Agency.

“This is the first confirmed case this season. It is necessary to thoroughly abide by anti-virus measures,” a ministry official said.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.