MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

South Korea confirms second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease

The total number of livestock culled so far is 2,500 in 18 farms

South Korean authorities confirmed Thursday the second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on a cattle farm close to where the first outbreak in eight years erupted a week ago.

The farm in Pocheon, 45 kilometres north of Seoul, is only about 3.5 kilometres away from where the first outbreak was reported, stirring up concerns that the virus may spread.

FMD is rarely transmitted to humans, but it can be fatal for cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, pigs, goats and sheep.

South Korean quarantine officials confirmed the latest case after testing 15 Korean native ``hanwoo'' cows that were culled and buried early Wednesday. They showed signs of FMD symptoms, but only two of them tested positive, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Ministry officials said authorities have begun culling livestock within a 500 meter radius of the farm where the second outbreak occurred.

To contain the disease, Seoul plans to kill livestock suspected of having contracted the highly contagious virus. A total of six livestock farms ― including the latest site ― raising more than 1,900 livestock are inside the quarantine zone.

The latest move will bring the total number of livestock culled to 2,500 in 18 farms, the ministry said. Besides the directly affected areas, authorities said they are monitoring 600 farms nationwide as a precautionary measure.

South Korea is taking the latest outbreak seriously, as it halted all exports of meat from animals with cloven hooves.

The disease hit South Korea in 2000 and 2002, which led to losses totalling 400 million US dollars.

Ministry officials said Seoul is looking into a measure that will ban livestock-raising farmers who do not take preventive measures for a set period of time.