Jeonnam Province Launches Mass Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination for Cattle and Goats in September After Outbreak

Targeting 770,000 Animals: Antibody Testing Begins in October
Support Extended to Farms with Fewer Than 100 Cattle or 300 Goats
Fines of Up to 10 Million Won for Farms Failing Antibody Rate Standards

Jeollanam-do will conduct a mass foot-and-mouth disease vaccination for all cattle and goats in the region throughout September. Photo by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province announced that it will conduct a mass foot-and-mouth disease vaccination for all cattle and goats in the region throughout September. Following the sudden outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease between March and April, which caused significant disruption, the province intends to take thorough measures to prevent livestock epidemics.

According to Jeonnam Province on August 31, a total of 19 cases of foot-and-mouth disease were officially reported in the region from March 13, when the first case occurred, to April 13. These included 13 cases in Yeongam (cattle) and 6 cases in Muan (1 cattle, 5 pigs). As a result, nationwide movement restrictions were imposed, including bans on the shipment of cattle and other livestock, which effectively forced related industries in the region to temporarily suspend operations during that period.

Determined to prevent a recurrence of this situation, Jeonnam Province is launching a full-scale mass vaccination campaign in the second half of the year. This initiative is timed to coincide with the period when the antibodies from the previous vaccination, administered in March, are expected to wane.

The vaccination will target approximately 770,000 cattle and goats in Jeonnam. In particular, the province will allocate an additional 2 billion won from its own budget to ensure thorough vaccination, providing support to farms with fewer than 100 cattle or 300 goats.

The vaccination support teams will consist of 240 people organized into 115 teams, including veterinarians and capture specialists.

Starting in October, four weeks after the vaccination, the province will randomly select farms to conduct antibody positivity rate tests in order to verify vaccination compliance and strengthen oversight. Farms that fall below the required antibody positivity rate will face fines of up to 10 million won and will be subject to ongoing testing at four-week intervals until their antibody rates improve. The required antibody positivity rates are 80% for cattle, 60% for goats and breeding pigs, and 30% for fattening pigs.

Lee Youngnam, Director of Animal Disease Control at Jeonnam Province, stated, "This year, foot-and-mouth disease occurred for the first time in livestock farms in Jeonnam. If vaccination is neglected, there is always a risk of recurrence, so we urge farms to follow the vaccination program without omission and to strictly adhere to basic quarantine measures, such as disinfection when entering and exiting farms."