FAO has called for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), following an unprecedented outbreak of the livestock-affecting sickness in South Korea.
South Korea's farm minister has offered to step down over the worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the country's history.Almost three million cattle have so far been culled at a cost of $1.34bn (£841m) since the disease was first confirmed last November.
Overwhelmed by the rapid spread of foot and mouth disease FMD the South Korean government announced that it will vaccinate pigs, cows and all other cloven hoofed animals. The decision came after the highly contagious virus has turned into a nationwide epidemic, with livestock farms in the eastern province of Gangwon falling victim to the deadly disease.