9 hours Ago By Korea Bizwire
This Dec. 9, 2024, file photo provided by the county office of Bonghwa, about 185 kilometers southeast of Seoul, shows cows getting vaccinated for foot-and-mouth disease. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has confirmed a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case at a local cattle farm, marking its first outbreak of the animal disease in nearly two years, the agriculture ministry said Friday.
The FMD case was found at a beef cattle farm in Yeongam, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, which has some 180 cows, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country last reported FMD cases in May 2023. All of the cattle at the farm will be culled to prevent the spread of the disease, which affects cloven-hoofed animals, including pigs and goats, according to the ministry.
The ministry also issued a standstill order on all animal farms and related facilities across the nation until 8 a.m. Sunday, and began intensive quarantine work in Yeongam and adjacent cities, according to the ministry.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok has directed relevant ministries to implement thorough preventive measures to contain the outbreak at an early stage. “The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs must closely cooperate with relevant agencies to swiftly carry out emergency actions, including rapid culling, entry controls, testing and disinfection, in accordance with the emergency response guidelines,” Choi said. FMD is an acute infectious viral disease of livestock that causes fever after the development of vesicles chiefly in the mouth and on the feet.
It is one of the most infectious diseases for livestock. (Yonhap).
