Japan seeks to control foot-and-mouth outbreak

Japanese agriculture officials have ordered pigs and cattle destroyed to get a handle on the country’s largest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the past 10 years, according to Business Week. The government said about 0.7 percent of the nation’s pig stock, 73,653 animals, and some 6,600 beef cattle, 0.1 percent of stock, will be affected.

One of the most transmissible animal diseases, foot-and mouth can kill a large number of young animals. Japan imports the largest quantity of feed grain globally.