January 12, 2004

South Korea Cull 22 Cows With Brucellosis Infection

In a bid to curb spread of the infectious brucellosis, South Korea plans to cull 22 cows at a farm in the south-west of the country, government officials said last Friday.

South Korea has been plagued by animal health concerns in recent weeks. An outbreak of bird flu forced the culling of hundreds of thousands of chickens, while beef supplies from the United States have been banned owing to a case of mad-cow disease there.

The officials said 13 dairy cows had tested positive for the infectious brucellosis disease, which can affect humans who come into contact with animals or animal products that are contaminated. Nine other animals were suspected of carrying the bacterial disease, they said.

An official in the North Cholla provincial town of Jong-up said all 22 cows would be destroyed. Jong-up was home to half of the 1,800 cows culled last year after testing positive for brucellosis.

The disease is transmitted among animals through contact with placenta and stillborn calves. Humans can become infected by drinking unpasteurised milk.

South Korea reported 19 cases last year of humans being infected with the disease, which produces flu-like symptoms, including fever and aches.