By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Government 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 kilometers north of Seoul, is only about 3.5 kilometers 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.
Local 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, the government 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.
The government is taking the latest outbreak seriously, as it halted all exports of meat from animals with cloven hooves.
The disease hit the nation in 2000 and 2002, which led to losses totaling 450 billion won ($400 million).
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.