Gov't confirms 6th outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- The government said Saturday it has confirmed the
country's sixth outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease this year at a dairy cattle
farm in Pocheon north of Seoul.

The farm, located 3.8 kilometers away from where the first outbreak was confirmed
on Jan. 7, reported blisters on some of its animals on Friday, the agriculture
ministry said.
On-site quarantine officials had ordered the culling of all 81 head of milk cows
on the farm as a preventative measure while cloven-hoofed livestock within a 500
meter radius of the outbreak are being slaughtered and buried to contain the
spread of the highly contagious disease.
The latest case is the fifth FMD cased confirmed in the Pocheon region, located
about 45km from Seoul. One other case was confirmed in nearby Yeoncheon, 62
kilometers north of Seoul. It is also the first outbreak to be reported in the
country since Jan. 18.
The animal disease affects all cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, hogs, goats
and deers causing blisters on the feet and mouths of livestock and sometimes
leading to death.
It can be spread via air, feed and imported farm products that have not been
sterilized. Humans, though not affected by the disease, can be carriers.
South Korea was hit twice before by the FMD disease in 2000 and 2002. Losses from
the 2000 outbreak centered on cattle and reached 300.6 billion won (US$259.8
million), while the 2002 outbreak cost 143.4 billion won as the disease spread
through pigs. The government declined to give the exact size of damages incurred
in the latest outbreak, although over 3,500 cows, pigs, goats, deers have been
culled so far.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)

Delete & Prev | Delete & Next