1 million animals culled due to foot-and-mouth disease

1 million animals culled due to foot-and-mouth disease. January. 07, 2011 11:17. alwaysj@donga.com.

The number of farm animals culled due to foot-and-mouth disease exceeded 1 million Thursday. The latest outbreak originated in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 29 last year.

Quarantine authorities stepped up screening of those related to the livestock industry at all ports of entry nationwide and decided to begin vaccinating pigs against the disease.

The Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said suspected cases reported at farms in Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, Dangjin County in South Chungcheong Province, and the township of Samseong and the town of Geumwang, North Chungcheong Province, were found to be foot-and-mouth disease.

All the farms excluding the one in Samseong were raising more than 55,000 pigs.

With the number of animals slaughtered surpassing 948,000 at 8 a.m. Thursday, 8 percent of the country`s 13 million hoofed and even-toed mammals nationwide were culled.