December 24, 2010

South Korea to vaccinate livestock to cope with FMD spread

South Korea will vaccinate domestic livestock to stem the latest outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) that has effectively spread throughout the country, the government said Wednesday (Dec 22).

The decision to vaccinate livestock came as the latest outbreak that was first confirmed on November 29 has spread through three provinces forcing authorities to destroy more than 224,000 animals.

There have been 44 confirmed cases of FMD in North Gyeongsang, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon provinces so far.

South Korea, which was hit by the disease in 2000, 2002 and two more times earlier this year, used vaccines only once, during the first outbreak after containment efforts failed.

As a rule, countries resort to vaccinations as a last resort because they can lose their FMD-free status that can affect consumer confidence and trade. Countries that have the disease cannot ship meat products from cloven-hoofed animals abroad and may be pressured to open their markets to other countries that have the disease.

Because of such concerns, most local livestock groups, such as the Korea Swine Association and the Hanwoo Association, are technically opposed to the move. Vaccinating animals will incur extra costs, with up to KRW700 million (US$605,000) needed to give shots to 100,000 animals, with some experts estimating KRW170 billion (US$148 million) may be needed to vaccinate the 13 million heads of cattle and pigs and two million goats, sheep, and deer raised in the country.

The decision came after local quarantine officials confirmed six new cases of FMD earlier in the day, with two being discovered in the northeastern Gangwon Province that had not been affected by the disease so far.