‘7 Years Without Foot-and-Mouth Disease’ Chungnam Aims to Maintain Zero Cases This Year

Chungnam Province is launching a mass vaccination campaign to maintain its status as a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free region. Chungnam has maintained FMD-free status for seven years since March 2016.

The province announced on the 28th that from May 1 to May 12, it will conduct a mass vaccination of approximately 565,000 livestock, including cattle and goats, raised on 17,000 farms within the region.

Livestock that have been vaccinated less than four weeks ago or are scheduled for slaughter within two weeks are excluded from the vaccination target. Additionally, cattle in the late stages of pregnancy with a high risk of miscarriage will be managed separately by the local city or county authorities, with plans for additional vaccination after delivery.

The vaccine used is a bivalent FMD vaccine combining type A and type O. For small-scale farms, the vaccine will be purchased and provided by the city or county, while commercial farms raising 50 or more cattle will purchase the vaccine directly from livestock cooperative animal hospitals, with 50% of the vaccine cost subsidized.

For farms raising fewer than 50 cattle and fewer than 300 goats, public veterinarians will provide direct vaccination support, while other commercial-scale farms will vaccinate their livestock independently.

Four weeks after the mass vaccination, the province will conduct antibody positivity rate tests. Farms with antibody positivity rates below the legal standards (80% or higher for cattle, 60% or higher for goats) will be subject to fines, additional vaccinations, and a re-inspection after one month as part of special management measures.

As of December last year, the antibody positivity rates for FMD in Chungnam were 96.9% for cattle and 95.9% for pigs, ranking first nationwide.

Shin Yong-wook, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, said, “Foot-and-mouth disease is a preventable disease through vaccination. We urge all farmers raising livestock in Chungnam to vaccinate every animal without exception.”