First Aerial Disinfection for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza

Aerial disinfection has been conducted in the Yongin area for the first time in South Korea.

While the effectiveness remains uncertain, if proven effective, it is expected to emerge as a key disinfection operation capable of containing the current crisis.

Yongin City announced on the 3rd that it carried out emergency aerial disinfection using forest fire-fighting helicopters to enhance quarantine effectiveness against foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza during the winter season.

This aerial disinfection was the result of Yongin City's swift decision to implement the operation, which had originally been scheduled for December 27 last year but was postponed due to irregular weather conditions including temperature drops and heavy snow, in response to the emergency situation of preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

The target disinfection areas were Namsa, Idong, Wonsam, and Baekam regions, where hoofed livestock are concentrated. The city carried out intensive spraying over a total of 10 operations to accelerate measures to prevent foot-and-mouth disease.

Aerial disinfection using helicopters is being attempted by Yongin City for the first time nationwide. The city plans to expand the operations to 2-3 times per week if today's aerial disinfection proves effective, and will continue to promote the initiative.

The city plans to concentrate disinfection efforts around rivers, livestock facilities, and access roads, which are habitats for wild animals and birds, in order to block the nationwide spread of foot-and-mouth disease and the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in livestock caused by wild birds.