Foot-and-mouth disease hits South Korean pig farm

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of a confirmed outbreak of FMD on a pig farm in North Jeolla Province (Jeollabuk-do) in the southwest of the country.

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of a confirmed outbreak of FMD on a pig farm in North Jeolla Province (Jeollabuk-do) in the southwest of the country.

According to the report, the outbreak started on January 11, and symptoms were seen in 30 pigs. The whole herd of 670 animals has been destroyed.

The source of the infection is unknown. The usual control measures have been introduced, namely: movement controls inside the country; screening; vaccination in response to the outbreak(s); disinfection; quarantine; stamping-out; control of wildlife reservoirs and zoning. There is no treatment of affected animals.

The last outbreak of FMD in South Korea was in May 2015.

Following reports of the suspicion of FMD, meetings have been held in the government complex in Sejong, central South Korea, with Agriculture Minister, Lee Dong-phil, to discuss the situation, reports news agency, Yonhap.

In the last two years, outbreaks of FMD – as well as PED – have hampered South Korean pork production, according to a Rabobank report in mid-2015. These have led to an increase in the country’s pig meat imports.

In 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available, FAOstat put South Korea pig meat production at a little over 1 million metric tons.

With 280,000 sows, NongHyup Agribusiness of South Korea is the world’s sixth largest pig-producing company, according to the latest survey from Pig International.

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