Muan County Expands Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control to Five Locations... No Further Spread Detected

A Total of 300,000 Cattle Vaccinated
Disinfection of Farms and Major Roads Intensified

Muan County, South Jeolla Province (Governor Kim San) announced on the 20th that it is making every effort to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which has been additionally reported in neighboring areas.

In Muan, after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed at a Hanwoo cattle farm in Illo-eup on the 16th, two additional farms showed clinical signs, but all tested negative in detailed inspections, so there has been no further spread.

A meeting to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease is being held under the leadership of County Governor Kim San. Provided by Muan County

Deputy Governor Jeong Hyeongu is operating a 24-hour emergency response center for foot-and-mouth disease control and presiding over daily meetings to prevent its spread, thoroughly inspecting the status of quarantine measures and directing prompt on-site responses. Currently, vaccination has been completed for all 1,315 farms and 300,649 cattle in Muan.

The county has designated the end of this month, when the effects of vaccination such as antibody formation are expected to appear, as the "quarantine golden time," and is intensifying focused quarantine activities to prevent further spread.

The number of control posts has been expanded to five, and 360 staff members are deployed in three shifts of two people each to thoroughly prevent the entry of foot-and-mouth disease. In addition, disinfection facilities previously operated by the Agricultural Technology Center are now also being run at three additional locations: Illo, Samhyang, and Unnam Agricultural Machinery Rental Centers. Livestock vehicles transporting animals, manure, or feed are only allowed entry and exit after passing through these disinfection facilities for thorough cleaning.

Furthermore, 197 dedicated public officials have been assigned to farms, expanding the monitoring range from those with 100 or more cattle to those with 50 or more, while farms with fewer than 50 cattle are directly inspected by town and township offices to ensure thorough management of the quarantine situation.

The number of quarantine vehicles has also been increased to a total of 20, including two owned by the county, five from the Livestock Cooperative Joint Prevention Team, six rented, one county disinfection vehicle, and six others, to strengthen disinfection around farms and on major roads.

In particular, Muan Fire Station is supplying water to quarantine posts, while Mokpo Muan Shinan Livestock Cooperative and local military units are providing vehicle support, and farmers and agricultural organizations are supplying power sprayers for vehicles, demonstrating the community's active participation in quarantine efforts.

Governor Kim San attended a meeting to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease on the 20th and emphasized, "We must mobilize all available resources to prevent any further outbreaks and stabilize the situation as soon as possible," adding, "Livestock farmers are urged to strictly follow quarantine rules, such as refraining from movement and thoroughly disinfecting inside and outside their farms."