Science and Health
S. Korea develops world's first gene-based testing liquid for 'Type A' FMD
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-23 15:06
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SEOUL: South Korea has developed the world' s first gene-based testing liquid for detection of "Type A" foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on animals, the state-run quarantine service agency said Tuesday.
"We developed the world's first testing liquid that uses recombined genes to check for the 'A' strain of the FMD that was found in the country last month and happens frequently in China and Southeast Asia," the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said in a statement.
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The current FMD test liquids in the market are made through the "antibody method" that uses the actual virus for development, making it necessary to have high-cost filtering facilities to prevent any unintended spread of the disease, the agency said. It took four years for the development of the liquid substance, according to the quarantine service, as they plan to release the product for commercial use within this year.
The discovery has also been published in the January issue of the Clinical and Vaccine Immunology Journal, the statement said. The foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that can affect cloven-hoofed animals, including pigs, sheep and goats, while humans are hardly affected by the virus.
South Korea's first FMD outbreak in eight years occurred on January 7 this year, with its last case reported on January 30, that resulted in 5,960 animals being culled and buried nationwide to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease. The country previously suffered from the FMD in 2000 and 2002, which caused a loss of 300. 6 billion won (US$261.4 million) and 143.4 billion won (US$125.0 million), respectively.
