New foot-and-mouth case

Quarantine officials confirmed a fresh case of foot-and-mouth disease in the country’s central region on Tuesday, adding to fears of the viral disease spreading across the country.

Dozens of pigs at a farm in Danyang, North Chungcheong, tested positive for the viral illness, a day after they showed symptoms, officials said.

Quarantine authorities restricted access to the farm and enhanced the disinfection measures. Some 4,600 pigs were being raised on the farm, according to officials at the local government. The concerned animals were immediately culled, they added.

As of Tuesday, 83 cases had been confirmed across the nation since the first outbreak was detected in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province in early December, the Agriculture Ministry said. More than 84,000 livestock have been slaughtered.

On Monday, a suspected case was also reported in South Chungcheong Province at a farm in Hongseong, which has more livestock than any other county in Korea.

While the pigs tested positive in the preliminary test, a further examination is underway for final results, authorities said.

This is the second case reported in South Chungcheong Province, 100 kilometers south of Seoul. The concerned farm is only 20 meters away from the farm where the first case was confirmed on Saturday, authorities added.

More than 490,000 pigs are being raised at some 300 farms in Hongseong. About 200,000 other animals are being raised in a neighboring region.

While the government has strengthened quarantine measures and restrictions for farms, doubts have arisen since a farmer was caught selling infected pigs.

The farmer, identified only by his surname Lee, in Sejong City sold about 800 possibly infected pigs to four farms in other regions on Saturday, a day before his animals tested positive for the viral disease, officials said.

Lee’s farm had been restricted from moving its pigs after a neighboring farm was found to have been infected, officials added.

The 39-year-old reportedly knew that his animals had been infected ahead of the transactions, sources said.

One of the farms in Gangwon Province, which bought about 200 pigs from Lee, reported a suspected case right after the purchase, quarantine authorities said.

All concerned animals both in Sejong City and Gangwon Province were culled as part of the preventive measures, they added.

The Sejong City government filed a complaint against Lee over violating the government’s movement restriction order, officials said.

Meanwhile, Gangwon Province government said it would seek compensation from the administrative city over the foot-and-mouth preventive measures and culling process.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)