S. Korea Reports More of Disease

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Hundreds of more cattle were slaughtered in South Korea after another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was discovered, quarantine officials said Sunday.

One cow on a farm in Hongsong, 62 miles south of Seoul, was found to have the deadly animal disease, the National Veterinary Quarantine Service said.

The infected cow and about 550 others on the same farm and other farms nearby were slaughtered and buried over the weekend, it said.

Outbreaks of the disease have been confirmed in cattle on 15 farms in three provinces since symptoms were first reported in Paju, 31 miles north of Seoul, around March 20. About 1,900 cattle and pigs have been slaughtered preventively and 400,000 inoculated. Most livestock markets were closed and transporting of animals was banned to prevent the further spread of the disease. Authorities were inoculating all cattle, pigs and goats within a 6-mile radius of infected farms.

The disease has also shown up on cattle farms in southern Japan.

The highly contagious disease virtually wiped out Taiwan's hog herds three years ago.

Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China have banned imports of beef and pork from South Korea.

Infected cattle and pigs show a decline of appetite with blisters on their hooves and mouths. The disease can kill entire herds but cannot be passed on to people.

AP-NY-04-16-00 0604EDT< 

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 16, 2000