Gochang-gun Conducts Mass Vaccination of Cattle and Goats Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Published 08 Oct.2021 09:52(KST)

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Jeonbuk Gochang-gun (Governor Yu Gisang) announced on the 8th that it will promote a mass foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination campaign this month targeting livestock farms raising cloven-hoofed animals within the jurisdiction (861 cattle farms with 46,456 heads, 56 goat farms with 7,270 heads) to maintain the FMD-free status.

In this mass vaccination, livestock scheduled for shipment within 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks after vaccination will be excluded from the vaccination target.

Excluded livestock will be separately managed so that additional vaccinations can be administered after the mass vaccination, and newborn livestock and pigs will be vaccinated at 8 weeks for the first dose and 12 weeks for the second dose.

Cattle should receive the first dose of the vaccine between 2 to 3 months or at 4 months of age depending on the vaccine type, and the second dose 4 weeks after the first vaccination.

After the second vaccination, additional vaccinations should be administered every 6 months.

The county supports vaccination by mobilizing public and private veterinarians for farms raising fewer than 50 cattle or 300 goats, while commercial-scale farms purchase vaccines from the livestock cooperative and perform self-vaccination.

To confirm the mass FMD vaccination, antibody positivity rate monitoring tests for the FMD vaccine will also be conducted.

Farms with antibody positivity rates below the standard (80% for cattle, 60% for goats and pigs (30% for fattening pigs)) will be designated as special management targets and subjected to additional vaccinations, confirmation tests, quarantine inspections, and fines.

A county official said, “Since the end of last year, many outdoor FMD antibodies have been detected, and farms with insufficient antibody positivity rates continue to be confirmed within the jurisdiction, so we cannot let our guard down against FMD outbreaks. Voluntary disinfection and timely vaccination by farms are the best proactive blocking measures, so we ask for cooperation to complete the mass vaccination within the period.”