FMD discovery in N Korea puts the South on alert

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in North Korea has prompted the South Korean agriculture ministry to step up biosecurity measures at the border.

Mr Ri Kyong Gun, Director of the Veterinary and, Ministry of Agriculture, Anti-Epizootic Department, PYongyand, North Korea reported the outbreak to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the 19th of February.

The outbreak which began at the Pyongyang pig factory, Dokdong-ri, Sadong, P’Yongyang-Si, on 8 January 2014 has spread to 17 units in Pyongyang-si (Sadong, Ryokpo, Sunan and Rakrang districts) and in Hwanghae-Bukto (Junghwa and Kangnam counties).

The number of infected pigs is 3,280, of which 369 have died and 2,911 were slaughtered.

South Korea knows too well the cost of disease. In 2010-2011 an outbreak of FMD forced the cull of 10% of the country’s cattle and hogs and cost billions of dollars to contain.

South Korea does not import any meat from the North.