S.Korea finds no fresh cases of foot-and-mouth

Reuters, Seoul

South Korea said on Sunday it had found no further cases of infected animals in a foot-and-mouth outbreak discovered this week after additional tests on pigs and a cow proved negative.

"You can say that foot-and-mouth disease appears to have been contained, but what happens in the next two to three days is crucial," Minister of Agriculture Kim Dong-tae told a news conference.

The ministry said in a statement that tests on more than 60 pigs and a milk cow suspected of having foot-and-mouth proved negative.

Tests were still being conducted on another 60 pigs from a slaughter house near a farm where the initial outbreak was reported.

The Ministry of Agriculture on Saturday confirmed an outbreak of the highly-infectious disease in pigs and said it had discovered a suspected infection of a cow.

South Korea has slaughtered and buried more than 12,000 animals at six farms located near the initial outbreaks, including 5,000 pigs from the farm where the initial discoveries were made, the ministry said.

The disease is a blow to the nation's livestock industry, which only on Monday restarted some exports of pork after foot- and-mouth outbreaks in early 2000 halted US$400 million of annual pork shipments.

The outbreak also comes as South Korea gears up for a huge influx of tourists for the soccer World Cup it co-hosts with Japan between May 31 and June 30.

The disease is not dangerous to humans, but highly infectious and deadly to pigs, cattle, deer and other hoofed animals.

The first outbreaks were reported in Ansong, Kyonggido, about 60 km (38 miles) south of Seoul and Chinchon, Chungchongbukdo, about 20 km (12 miles) further south.

The ministry said it had imposed restrictions on the transport of livestock at almost 2,000 farms near the affected regions, while strengthening disinfection measures.