S. Korea to boost foot-and-mouth disease monitoring

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will strengthen quarantine and customs inspections to prevent foot-and-mouth disease following recent outbreaks in China and Vietnam, the government said Friday.

Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, affecting cattle, pigs, deer, goats
and sheep. The disease causes blisters on the mouth and feet of livestock and
leads to death. It is rarely transmitted to humans, but countries that report an
outbreak are banned from exporting meat.
Beijing confirmed a case in Xinjiang province on Thursday, while the disease is
spreading throughout Vietnam with the latest case being reported in the Mekong
Delta region, according to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries
The ministry said it has increased the number of inspectors at international air
and sea terminals to better check luggage of travelers and inbound cargo.
Inspectors will carefully check the 287 farms that use Chinese-imported hay to
feed their animals and the estimated 3,000 foreigners employed as farm workers
across the country, it said.
South Korea is currently classified as a "clean" area with no cases reported
since February 2002. The country was hit by the disease twice in 2000 and 2002,
with combined losses amounting to 450 billion won (US$323 million).
yonngong@yna.co.kr