"Stop the Spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease" Emergency Response Initiated

"Block foot-and-mouth disease in advance."

In response to foot-and-mouth disease incidents that occurred at swine farms (two farms) located in Walyong-myeon, Andong City, North Gyeongsang Province, and at a Korean cattle farm in Seohu-myeon, Hwaseong City held an emergency countermeasures meeting on the 30th and promptly implemented measures to ensure thorough quarantine procedures in preparation for foot-and-mouth disease in each eup, myeon, and dong as well as related livestock complexes.

The city, in particular, urged livestock farms within the city to strengthen quarantine barriers such as disinfection, conduct clinical observation at least once per day, and promptly report (1588-4060) any suspected cases of livestock disease. The city emphasized the need to take thorough quarantine measures against foot-and-mouth disease by refraining from visits to other farms and avoiding livestock-related gatherings, while promoting awareness through village broadcasts and ARS text messages.

In particular, at the special directive of Vice Mayor Choi Hyung-geun, an emergency livestock disease prevention council was held at 2 p.m. on the 30th to discuss emergency foot-and-mouth disease quarantine measures including the installation of a foot-and-mouth disease quarantine situation room, rapid transmission of suspected animal cases to livestock farms, thorough quarantine barriers, and emergency telephone surveillance to detect infected livestock early.

At the meeting, Vice Mayor Choi instructed the prompt supply of 10 tons of disinfectant already provided to farms, and in the event that temperatures drop below freezing, the emergency supply of 200 tons of quicklime to cattle and swine farms.

Meanwhile, as foot-and-mouth disease broke out in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, quarantine authorities began large-scale culling.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 30th, the number of livestock to be culled due to this foot-and-mouth disease outbreak reaches 32,285 head.

Since foot-and-mouth disease is a virus with high transmission capability, the principle for preventing its spread is to cull all livestock not only at the affected farm but also within a 500-meter radius.

First, approximately 9,000 head of livestock from two swine farms in Seohyeon-ri, Walyong-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, where the initial foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed, and 21,694 animals within a 3-kilometer radius of the farms will be buried.

Additionally, livestock at other farms operated by the initial infected farm owner are also subject to burial. This is because transmission through human contact is also possible.

The farm owners operate four additional farms besides those in Seohyeon-ri. At these four farms, 200 head of cattle and 10,350 swine are also included in the burial target.

In addition, regarding the foot-and-mouth disease that occurred in Seohu-myeon, the authorities plan to also bury 41 head of Korean cattle from farms within a 500-meter radius.