FMD Control Returns to Normal... Nationwide Crisis Alert Lowered to 'Attention' Level

The nationwide foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) control system has been reverted to its normal state. This change comes as all disease control measures, including movement restrictions imposed on livestock farms due to FMD outbreaks, have now been lifted.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that, starting July 9, the crisis alert level for all regions nationwide would be lowered to the "attention" stage.

(Photo)

This measure was taken as all disease control actions have been completed, including clinical and detailed inspections of farms in Yeongam and Muan counties in South Jeolla Province, where FMD outbreaks had occurred, which found no abnormalities, and the culling (at slaughterhouses) of all livestock with positive infection antibodies (NSP) at the affected farms.

This year, FMD was first detected in Yeongam county, South Jeolla Province, on March 13, and a total of 19 cases occurred through April 13, over a period of 32 days.

Upon the outbreak of FMD, the Ministry implemented strict disease control measures, including movement restrictions for livestock, vehicles, and people in affected and adjacent areas, emergency vaccination of all cloven-hoofed animals, intensified disinfection of facilities and roads, and enhanced farm monitoring.

The Ministry believes that the FMD outbreaks in numerous farms in Yeongam and Muan occurred in a short period, and that a large number of livestock with infection antibodies (NSP) were detected (27 farms, 677 animals), likely because livestock farms either failed to properly vaccinate their animals or did not follow basic disease control protocols, which allowed the virus to enter the farms and cause FMD. In fact, epidemiological investigations of the 19 affected farms revealed multiple violations of disease control standards, including lack of vehicle disinfection equipment, absence of shoe disinfection stations, failure to keep visitor logs, and use of disinfectants past their expiration dates.

An official from the Ministry stated, "For FMD, it is crucial to acquire livestock immunity through prompt and thorough vaccination," adding, "It also highlights the importance of establishing systematic on-farm biosecurity systems to prevent the introduction of the virus and ensuring that farm workers strictly adhere to disease control protocols."

Taking these points into account, the Ministry plans to identify shortcomings observed during the disease control process and gather requests for institutional improvements from the field, with the goal of formulating and announcing an 'FMD Disease Control Management Improvement Plan' in the second half of this year. Choi Jeongrok, Director General of the Disease Control Policy Bureau at the Ministry, stated, "Although the FMD crisis alert level is being lowered, livestock infectious diseases, including FMD, continue to occur in neighboring countries. Livestock farmers and related workers must remain vigilant and strictly comply with fundamental disease control measures, such as vaccination, thorough disinfection inside and outside farms, and biosecurity for vehicles and people entering and exiting the premises."