February 18, 2010

Korea to expand international cooperation to counter FMD

Korea plans to expand international cooperation to cope quickly with possible outbreaks of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease down the road, the state quarantine service said Wednesday (Feb 17).

The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said it will step up information exchanges with neighbouring countries on the disease to make it easier to determine what type of virus has entered the country and improve the precision of local disease testing procedures.

FMD is a "List A" contagious disease, according to the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health, and affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle and hogs causing blisters on the feet and mouths of livestock and sometimes leading to death.

It can be spread through air, feed and imported farm products that have not been sterilised.

"Cooperation with Vietnam that began in 2009 helped local quarantine officials isolate the type of virus that caused this year's FMD outbreak," said Chung Gap-soo, head of the animal sanitation research division at the agency.