Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak triggers emergency response in North Gyeongsang
North Gyeongsang has culled infected pigs and cattle, halted livestock movement and begun mass vaccinations as officials move to contain its first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 11 years.
Authorities stand guard in front of a cattle farm in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, under quarantine on July 3 after the province reported its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 11 years.YONHAP
YECHEON COUNTY, North Gyeongsang — Authorities are racing to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after cases were confirmed at pig and cattle farms in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang.
The virus was confirmed on Friday in 14 pigs at one pig farm in Yecheon County and in 24 cattle at five cattle farms located within 500 meters (547 yards) of the pig farm, according to the government's central FMD response headquarters.
The government of North Gyeongsang immediately culled all 38 infected pigs and cattle after the cases were confirmed.
It also closed six livestock markets across five neighboring cities and counties — Andong, Uiseong County, Sangju, Mungyeong and Yeongju — and set up three quarantine checkpoints on major roads near the affected farms to restrict access.
The government also imposed a 48-hour “standstill” order beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, which temporarily bans the movement of livestock workers and livestock vehicles in Yecheon County and neighboring cities and counties.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and deer. It is classified by the World Organisation for Animal Health as one of the most serious livestock diseases.
Infected animals develop blisters around the mouth and hooves, lose their appetite, become unable to stand properly and may eventually die. The disease has a fatality rate of up to 55 percent.
Disinfection work is carried out on a road near a cattle farm in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, on July 3.YONHAP
Livestock farmers near the affected area remained on high alert over the weekend as they watched for signs of further spread.
"Farmers in Yecheon and neighboring areas are all on edge," a livestock industry worker in Yecheon County said. "If the disease spreads out of control, livestock farms will suffer severe damage."
Authorities have also begun clinical inspections at all farms within a 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) quarantine zone and at 1,382 farms identified through epidemiological tracing.
Emergency vaccinations are underway for all 839,000 cloven-hoofed animals in Yecheon County, along with five neighboring cities and counties.
Vaccinations for pigs are scheduled to be completed by this coming Friday. Cattle and goats will be vaccinated by July 17.
Hwang Myeong-suk, vice governor for administrative affairs of North Gyeongsang, right, inspects a quarantine checkpoint near a livestock farm in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, where an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was reported, on July 4.GYEONGSANGBUK-DO
“In addition to rapid vaccination, livestock farmers should strictly limit the entry of people and vehicles onto their farms to strengthen biosecurity and prevent further spread of the disease," Hwang Myeong-suk, vice governor for administrative affairs of North Gyeongsang, said on Saturday.
North Gyeongsang raises about 745,000 cattle across 16,536 farms and approximately 1.4 million pigs across 582 farms. The province has the nation's largest cattle population and the fourth-largest pig industry.
The latest outbreak is North Gyeongsang's first case of FMD since March 31, 2015.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
