Another suspected FMD case found in Anseong
A suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in Anseong. Yonhap
A suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was reported in Anseong on Tuesday, a day after the government confirmed a type O variant case in the area.
The owner of a "hanwoo" beef cattle farm in Anseong, 80 kilometers south of Seoul, reported a suspected case to the Gyeonggi Province government.
The farm is located 11.4 kilometers from the place of the confirmed case of FMD. The farm has 97 hanwoo beef cattle, with three of them showing symptoms, such as drooling and weak legs.
Hanwoo are premium beef cattle produced in South Korea.
The ministry said officials from Gyeonggi Province were sent to the site to carry out the test, with the result anticipated to be delivered later this day.
All comings and goings of people and animals are being controlled at the farm of concern, the ministry said, claiming it will carry out necessary measures if the suspected case is confirmed to be a new case.
Local authorities have been rolling out quarantine measures in Anseong after the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed an FMD case at a dairy farm.
The ministry said earlier in the day that no further cases have been observed in Anseong and neighboring areas but warned the disease has an incubation period of up to 14 days and can spread quickly if conditions are right.
The confirmed FMD case was the first reported this year.
On Monday, the ministry decided to cull 120 cows at the farm where the disease broke out.
A 24-hour lockdown has also been placed on all livestock farms within 3 kilometers of the affected farm through 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, affecting 89 farms with about 4,900 animals in total.
The ministry said 440,000 cows in Anseong, along with 1.39 million cows and pigs in neighboring cities and towns, will receive vaccinations as soon as possible.
With the Lunar New Year holiday, during which South Koreans normally travel to other cities and regions to visit relatives, coming up next week, the government said it will take all possible steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
The ministry claimed it is especially important to fully prevent the spread of FMD in the next three weeks before it gets out of control. (Yonhap)