January 9, 2004

Hog Cholera Confirmed in South Korea

A suspected hog cholera case, which broke out at a farm in Yeongdong, in the central part of South Korea was confirmed yesterday, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said. 

It was the first outbreak of hog cholera in central Korea in seven years. It comes on the heels of a fatal bird flu and the discovery of mad cow disease in the United States that have caused a scare among South Korea consumers.

The hog cholera case was reported to the quarantine authorities last week.

Hogs that tested positive for the disease and others in the same pen were slaughtered, quarantine officials said.

The local government set up checkpoints around the farm to prevent the possible spread of the virus, they said.