South Korean Cattle Now Under FMD Threat
SOUTH KOREA - The South Korean veterinary authorities have reported another outbreak of foot and mouth disease, but this time, the affected population consists of cattle.
1 December 2010
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The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received follow-up report no. 1 yesterday, 30 November.
According to the report, the outbreak occured at a farm in Andong city, in the Kyongsang-Bukdo province. A total of five animals were found susceptible, out of which one was found to be affected. All five animals were destroyed.
The source of the outbreak has still not been identified.
According to the OIE, the National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service (NVRQS) confirmed the prevalence of the disease by sequencing analysis that the first reported cases were infected with FMD virus serotype O.
On 29 November, a private veterinarian reported to the local veterinary service an FMD suspicious case in a Korean native beef cattle farm located 8km southwest of the first outbreak farm, the report states.
The NVRQS confirmed FMD positive on 30 November by RT-PCR. All cloven-hoofed animals raised in the area within 500m radius of the affected farm will be culled and buried as a preemptive measure.
