Asia-Pacific

Over 1m animals culled due to FMD in S Korea

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-07 20:14

SEOUL - The number of animals culled for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in South Korea has exceeded one million, according to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Friday.

Related readings:  S. Korea considers vaccinating pigs against FMD  ROK confirms 3 additional FMD outbreaks  S Korea raises alert level for FMD to highest

The ministry said it has ordered the culling of 1.07 million animals. It added that 1.21 million cattle and pigs are to be vaccinated to stem the spread of the highly contagious disease, which has hit six provinces and cities after its first outbreak on November 29 last year.

South Korea, meanwhile, confirmed two fresh outbreaks of the disease on Friday, despite extensive quarantine efforts.

The agriculture ministry said a cattle farm in Gangneung on the east coast and a pig farm in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province near Seoul, tested positive for the disease.

All 15 heads of cattle and 5,900 pigs on the farms have been culled and buried to contain the spread of the disease, the agriculture ministry said. Also, animals within a 500-meter radius of the affected farms are subject to culling as a precautionary measure.