S.Korea closes livestock markets due to foot-and-mouth disease

What is going on in SKorea & Japan? I went onto Yonhap news to make sure that the Korean peninsula was still there and found that SKorea closed all livestock markets due to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). And while cross referencing that information, I also came across Japan is hit by H5N1 bird flu carried in chickens.

Here's a quote from SKorea Yonhap news about FMD outbreak:

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) confirmed in beef cows in Andong in the southeastern part of South Korea on Tuesday appears to have spread to cattle farms in nearby towns, prompting the authorities to close all livestock markets nationwide, excluding those on Jeju Island.

Five beef cows from an Andong farm in North Gyeongsang Province tested positive for FMD on Tuesday, one day after the outbreak of the animal disease was reported at two nearby pig farms, officials said.

Yonhap Source

It seems that this is 2 seperate outbreaks in SKorea(Pigs & Cattle). SKorea will/has "culled" animals(slaughter) which began yesterday. So far 3,100 have been killed and approx 1,400 among the rest are scheduled to be culled today(the number of culled is actually higher).
FMD confirmed in SKorea(cattle)
FMD outbreak discovered in SKorea(Pigs)
HISZ.RSOE

And Japan is on alert for an outbreak of FMD coming from their neighbor SKorea.
Govt urges caution against foot-and-mouth disease(w/video)
Lastly, here's Japan's bird flu outbreak in chickens(H5N1).

Officials in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, have begun destroying some 23,000 chickens at a poultry farm that's been hit by bird flu.

The highly virulent H5 strain of the avian flu virus was detected in 5 chickens that were found dead at the farm in Yasugi city on Monday.

On Tuesday, dozens of officials in protective gear arrived at the farm to destroy all its chickens.
In addition, movement of chickens and eggs has been restricted at 4 other poultry farms within 10 kilometers of the site.

Chickens at bird flu-hit farm destroyed

Lets hope they get this contained and it doesn't spread to other areas.

reply to post by JWash

Welcome to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Ag and borders open to un-quarrantined, untested livestock.

In 1995, before WTO,California did 10,576 TB tests in cattle

After HACCP and the WTO agreement on Ag, it was cut to 1,425 by 1999.

Meanwhile per the WTO Agreement on Ag the USA borders were opened to Mexican cattle and a Mexican cattle Assoc was responsible for the Santa Teresa, NM cattle port-of-entry”

RESULT TB found in New Mexico, California Oklahoma and other states. The Media TRUMPED the INCREASE of testing from 1,425 to 2,500 but said NOTHING about the DECREASE from 10,576

Even worse a TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION Report says not only is the US government shutting down testing labs but with ”the discontinuation of first-point testing, slaughter testing will become the primary method for brucellosis surveillance.... An animal identified through slaughter testing as possibly infected is no longer living and therefore additional testing of that animal is not possible. As a result, the process to be followed requires the identification of the herd the animal came from and conducting a whole herd test to determine whether or not infection is present in the herd. “

I have a thread on the bogus "food safety" bill to be voted on this week HERE

reply to post by crimvelvet
Thanks for the information. I was not aware about the history of how they did their testing, WTO agreements and the history of trade before WTO. I just clicked on your thread to check it out.

Alright, the situation in S.Korea hasn't improved. In fact it seems as if it has gotten worse.

::UPDATE::
S. Korea confirms bird flu outbreak
FMD spreads more

It doesn't state whether Japan's H5N1 has transferred over to S.Korea. The news is only releasing at this moment that it's 'bird flu'.

And I'm not sure if the livestock markets have re-opened to selling cattle & pig meat. As I highly doubt it, since the S.Korean Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries just slaughtered 104,360 head of livestock. That is alot!

Man, South Korea is in alot of turmoil right now... I'll be watching this as long with the other events unfolding on their side of the globe.

Foot and mouth is rampant in my little town in Pennsylvania

many elementary school children have it

i don't know

be good

::New Update::
SKorea starts vaccinations

The vaccination will begin on Dec. 25 with 800 personnel from 200 teams taking on the task. The second vaccination process will start one month after the first shots are administered, and about 133,000 cattle will be subject to the vaccination in the first process, according to the ministry.

I'm just curious on how many farms are left on the SKorean side of the peninsula that has unaffected livestock?

And if the price of livestock meat has risen?

After the first case was confirmed on Nov. 29 in North Gyeongsang Province, the disease spread to Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and Incheon, with a total of 51 cases being reported and over 325,000 animals being ordered destroyed.

Source

More importantly, will this be a 'justifiable' reason to secure & strengthen ties w/ SKorea via FTA?
(i.e. U.S. wants to be friendly & start exporting our livestock meat to SKorea as a cover...?)

That's what I've been watching for... To see "IF" a move like the one I stated above would happen. Cause' I just don't see how all of these farms(cases), could infect each other like this. Seems odd to me, thats all.