Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reemerges After 9 Months... Emergency Vaccinations Begin in Incheon and Gimpo

After approximately nine months, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has reemerged in South Korea, prompting quarantine authorities to launch an emergency response.

On January 31, the Central Accident Management Headquarters for FMD held a meeting attended by relevant government ministries and local governments to review the current status of the outbreak and discuss future quarantine measures.

The previous day, a case of FMD was confirmed at a cattle farm in Ganghwa County, Incheon. This marks the first case reported this year.

In response to the outbreak, the Central Accident Management Headquarters raised the crisis alert level for Incheon and Gimpo in Gyeonggi Province from "Attention" to "Severe." The alert level for other regions was also raised by one notch to "Caution."

To contain the spread, an initial quarantine team and an epidemiological investigation unit were dispatched to the affected farm, where access has been restricted. Investigations into the infection route and the possibility of further transmission are underway. The 246 cattle being raised at the farm are scheduled to be culled in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

FMD is a highly contagious disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, and is classified as a type 1 livestock infectious disease due to its high transmissibility.

To prevent transmission between farms, the Central Accident Management Headquarters issued a 48-hour standstill order for cloven-hoofed animal farms, livestock-related facility workers, and vehicles in Incheon and Gimpo. In addition, comprehensive disinfection and cleaning operations are being carried out on facilities and vehicles.

To further block the spread of the virus, 39 disinfection vehicles, including large-scale sprayers and quarantine trucks, have been mobilized to intensively disinfect cloven-hoofed animal farms and surrounding roads in Incheon and Gimpo.

Quarantine authorities plan to conduct emergency vaccinations and clinical inspections on 92,000 animals at all 1,008 cloven-hoofed animal farms in Incheon and Gimpo from today until February 8.

Additionally, three experts from the Central Mobile Quarantine Organization have been dispatched to the affected farm to oversee on-site quarantine activities, including culling, burial, and disposal of residual materials. Movement restrictions and disinfection measures are also being implemented for 2,188 related farms and 206 vehicles within the quarantine and epidemiological zones.

Furthermore, the current outbreak status will be shared with cloven-hoofed animal farms nationwide, and telephone surveillance will be conducted in parallel.

This is the first FMD outbreak since April last year. In 2025, the first case was reported on March 13 in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, with a total of 19 cases occurring through April 13.

There are concerns that a reduction in the supply of beef or pork due to the spread of FMD could drive up prices. However, the Central Accident Management Headquarters explained, "The 246 animals to be culled this time account for only 0.007% of the total 3.19 million Korean cattle, so the impact on supply will be limited."

Kim Jonggu, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We urge related agencies and Incheon City to make every effort in quarantine measures, including emergency vaccination and disinfection." He added, "Since there is a possibility of additional outbreaks at farms with poor vaccination management, please strengthen education and publicity to ensure that farms remain vigilant and strictly adhere to quarantine guidelines."

He further emphasized, "If any suspicious symptoms are observed in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle and pigs, please report them to the quarantine authorities immediately."