South Korea completes vaccinating animals against foot-and-mouth disease

A farm in Buk District, Gwangju, 266 kilometers south of Seoul, where cows were vaccinated on Thursday to prevent a further spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Yonhap

The government has completed emergency vaccinations of cows and pigs nationwide to prevent a further spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) during the Lunar New Year's holiday, officials said Sunday.

Authorities have also culled more than 2,000 cows, the most in eight years, as they step up quarantine efforts following two confirmed cases last week.

The agriculture ministry said it had vaccinated 1,340 cows and pigs nationwide and disinfected about 86,000 farms and related facilities.

"It takes time for antibodies to form despite the vaccinations," Agriculture Minister Lee Gae-ho said. "I ask provincial governments and quarantine officials to mobilize all available sources to focus on disinfection during the holiday."

Last week the government called for cooperation in curbing the spread of FMD, with millions of people expected to travel nationwide for the Lunar New Year holiday.

The government raised its alert level against the disease last week.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Thursday asked people to cooperate in eradicating the animal disease as soon as possible, urging holiday-makers to stay away from affected farms and nearby areas. (Yonhap)