Government: "Emergency Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination by the 20th... Full Compensation Reduction for Culling if Not Complied"

After First Occurrence in Cheongju, Spread to 10 Locations
Strengthening Biosecurity in Ungulate Farms

The government has decided to carry out emergency foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination for all cattle and other cloven-hoofed livestock farms nationwide by the 20th to prevent the spread of FMD. Farms that fail to comply with the vaccination will face fines and will not receive full compensation for culling.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans to complete emergency FMD vaccination at all cloven-hoofed livestock farms nationwide by the 20th to ensure sufficient antibody formation in the animals.

FMD first occurred on the 10th at a Hanwoo cattle farm in Cheongju, Chungbuk Province, and since then, it has been detected at nine Hanwoo farms and one goat farm in Cheongju and Jeungpyeong County.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency estimates that all 10 farms where FMD occurred were infected by viruses introduced from overseas before the first reported case, and the outbreaks mainly occurred among animals with insufficient antibody formation due to inadequate vaccination.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is conducting emergency vaccinations. To verify vaccination status, emergency vaccination inspection teams composed of public veterinarians, livestock cooperative staff, and animal quarantine officers are being organized and operated by city and county. The monitoring test for vaccine antibody positivity will also be strengthened from 4% to 8% of the livestock population. Furthermore, farms that fail to comply with the emergency vaccination will be fined up to 10 million KRW and will have their culling compensation reduced by 100%.

For cattle breeds in the affected cities and counties (Cheongju and Jeungpyeong, Chungbuk) and seven neighboring cities and counties, movement will be restricted and livestock markets closed for two weeks from the 16th to the 30th, considering the completion of emergency vaccination in high-risk areas and the antibody formation period (two weeks).

Testing and surveillance will also be intensified. Local governments will complete clinical and detailed tests in the affected cities and counties by the 17th to detect suspected FMD farms early, and will conduct additional clinical tests once or twice weekly thereafter. For the seven adjacent cities and counties, clinical tests of cloven-hoofed livestock farms will be completed, followed by weekly clinical tests and telephone surveillance.

Border quarantine will be strengthened to block the introduction of FMD virus from overseas. Inspections of carried livestock products on flights from FMD-affected countries in Southeast Asia will be intensified, and joint customs inspections of express cargo will be conducted for three weeks starting from the 22nd. Crackdowns on illegal sales of smuggled livestock products at food retail stores targeting foreigners will also be strengthened.

Kim In-jung, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We ask all quarantine-related agencies and local governments to promptly and thoroughly carry out additional emergency vaccinations to prevent the spread of FMD. We also urge strict implementation of clinical and detailed tests, movement restrictions, and concentrated disinfection and surveillance on farms and nearby roads."

(Photo for reference)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.