South Korea made the move after the deadly disease spread to seven western areas, two weeks after it was discovered in cattle in farms, north of Seoul. Since the outbreak of the disease, the authorities have slaughtered 400 cattle and pigs and inoculated 110,000 others. Mass inoculation They plan to inoculate the country's 11 million cattle and pig population and have imposed a ban on the movement of livestock in infected areas. It is thought the current outbreak was caused by imports of infected straw. The disease affects cows, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, and humans cannot catch the disease.
Affected animals suffer from a sudden rise in temperature and mouth blisters.
It can easily spread and affect whole herds. Economic impact Korean authorities have yet to release official estimates of the disease's economic impact. However, industry sources have said if foot and mouth were to spread nationwide, the impact on Korea's livestock and related industries would be tougher than the 1997 financial crisis. Japan has suspended beef and pork imports, while Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China have banned imports. Despite the lack of danger to humans, South Korean consumers are shunning beef and pork products for fear of infection.