Seoul, Feb 28 (IANS): South Korea will extend an intensive disinfection campaign against avian influenza, or bird flu, by a month to curb the continued spread of highly pathogenic cases at local farms, the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.

The special quarantine period is set to end this month, but the Ministry decided to extend the measure until the end of March, which calls for carrying out intensified disinfection work at poultry farms and related facilities, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The Ministry said it will enhance the monitoring of migratory birds, as they are regarded as playing a role in spreading the virus and their number marked a 13.3 per cent on-year growth in February.

The move came as the country has reported a series of highly pathogenic avian influenza cases across the country, and the infections have been raging across the globe this season.

Since October last year, South Korea has reported 69 avian influenza cases, which already has surpassed the 47 cases that broke out a year ago, data showed.