Foot-and-mouth disease has been detected at two cattle farms in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province. The government has issued a 24-hour movement ban for livestock-related personnel and vehicles in Yecheon and six neighboring counties, implementing emergency vaccinations and disinfection measures.
The Central Disaster Management Headquarters reported on September 3 that 32 cattle tested positive for the foot-and-mouth disease virus during inspections at the two farms, which had previously been under movement restrictions due to the detection of antibodies. The infected animals were found during testing to confirm the circulation of the virus.
The temporary movement ban is in effect from 10 a.m. on September 3 until 10 a.m. on September 4, covering Yecheon, Andong, Uiseong, Sangju, Mungyeong, Yeongju, and Danyang in North Chungcheong Province.
This ban applies to personnel and vehicles at farms raising cattle, pigs, and goats, as well as slaughterhouses and feed factories. The government will conduct thorough disinfection and cleaning of these facilities and vehicles, deploying central inspection teams from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to ensure compliance with biosecurity measures.
The foot-and-mouth disease alert level has been raised from 'concern' to 'serious' in Yecheon County, while the rest of the country has been elevated from 'concern' to 'caution.'
The affected farms plan to cull the 32 infected cattle. Following detailed examinations and clinical tests, it was determined that the antibody positivity rate is high and there are no clinical symptoms, leading to the decision to selectively cull the positive animals.
Emergency vaccinations and clinical tests will be conducted for 117,253 livestock across 1,515 farms in Yecheon County and 318,489 livestock in 6,330 farms in neighboring counties. Nationwide monitoring will also be intensified through telephone surveys targeting all livestock farms.
In the six neighboring counties, 69 available resources, including large-scale disinfection vehicles, will be mobilized. The plan includes intensive disinfection and cleaning of farms, livestock facilities, and surrounding roads.
This year, there have been a total of 11 reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease, including the two recent cases. Three cases were confirmed in January and February in Ganghwa and Goyang, and six cases were reported in Yecheon in July.
Park Jeong-hoon, head of the Food Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, emphasized the seriousness of the situation with the outbreak occurring in Yecheon ahead of the Chuseok holiday. He urged relevant agencies and local governments to focus on swift culling of livestock, detailed inspections, and intensive disinfection measures. He also stressed the importance of thorough biosecurity management to prevent any omissions during the vaccination process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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