South Korea Kills 1.7 Million Animals to Stop Foot-And-Mouth Disease

By Elina Shatkin Wed., Jan. 19 2011 at 3:14 PM

South Korean officials are desperately trying to stop a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, killing over a million infected animals and vaccinating millions more.

Despite its innocuous name, foot-and-mouth isn't a social faux pas, it's a devastating virus that infects cloven-hoofed animals. Symptoms include a high fever followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet, which if they rupture can cause lameness. (Transmission to humans is rare, but they can spread the disease if they've had contact with contaminated farm equipment, clothing and feed.)

Since the outbreak that began in late November, nearly 1.7 million farm animals have been slaughtered, some of which were buried alive when euthanasia drugs ran out, reports Time magazine.

In mountainous, farm-heavy Gapyeong, the government's efforts are of little consolation to the affected farmers, some of whom have seen their livestock and their livelihoods destroyed overnight.

For consumers, it means a rise in meat prices.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the mass cull has caused wholesale prices of beef and pork to rise in January: 9% and 22% over December's average prices, respectively.

For American and Australian farmers, who supply much of South Korea's pork and beef, respectively, it means an uptick in sales as they rush to fill the demand, which spikes near the Lunar New Year.

Tags:

Cull, Disease, Elina Shatkin, Foot-And-Mouth, Quarantine, South Korea, Vaccine

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Jacquelinepmd

Disgusted at South Korea all this could have been avoided with a simple vaccine instead they choose BARBARIC Slaughtering of these innocent animals from newborn to old.Stop forcing animals to live in FILTHY FARM RAISED Deplorable conditions!!!! Animals aren't meant to be housed so close together then they wonder where disease comes in and innocent animals Suffer all because OF COPRORATE GREED!!!!!!!!

Arby Trent Darby, Ph.D.

You're saying that you have better information than the people whose livelihoods have been destroyed by not using the simple expedient of a vaccine? Could be, but that would require us to believe that farmers and corporations act against economic self-interest. Far-fetched.