April 15, 2004

Korea Set Cattle Trade Requirements To Prevent Brucellosis

South Korea will require cattle traders to have a health certificate for their animals starting from June in a bid to prevent the spread of brucellosis, the agriculture ministry said today.

Brucellosis, an infection disease which can cause miscarriages in cows and chronic flu-like symptoms in humans, resurfaced in South Korea this year.

On Saturday, 43 dairy cows at two farms in Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province tested positive for brucellosis, while 14 cows at a farm in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, also tested positive. This year, South Korea has culled 707 cattle at 29 farms.

"The system will help our efforts to prevent the spread of the disease as it can have a devastating effect on the industry," said an official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Brucellosis can cause pregnant cows to spontaneously abort and, if passed to humans, who can contract the disease by consuming contaminated dairy products or coming into direct contact with infected cattle, can cause chronic fever.