FMD outbreak in South Korea: update

South Korean authorities reported an additional foot and mouth disease (FMD) case at a cattle farm in the county of Yeongam, raising the total number of cases this year to 14. The last outbreak in the country was in 2023. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to enforce preventive measures to contain the disease. These measures include rapid culling, entry controls, testing and disinfection. Earlier this year, South Korea banned pork imports from Germany after the European nation reported its first FMD case since 1988. Seoul has been working to gain recognition from the World Organization for Animal Health as a country free of the disease but failed after the outbreak in 2023.
FMD is a viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals like pigs, cows, and goats. It is very infectious, but it does not affect humans.