South Korea confirms case of rare type-A foot and mouth disease in pig farm

SEOUL, March 27 (UPI) -- South Korea confirmed a rare type-A foot and mouth disease virus at a pig farm located less than an hour's drive from Seoul.

The agriculture ministry told reporters Tuesday that a sick pig in a farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do Province, had tested positive for the type-A strain, marking the first time that the country confirmed a swine FMD case with the uncommon virus type, Yonhap reported.

Quarantine authorities have enforced emergency measures to contain the further spread of the virus, raising a nationwide alert on infectious disease to the highest level, the ministry said.

Authorities ordered all 917 pigs at the affected farm to be slaughtered as well as enforcing 48 hour stand-still for all farms in the country, raising pigs and cloven-hoofed animals.

Also, transfers of pigs between farms will be restricted for a week beginning Tuesday, News 1 reported.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus causes a highly contagious acute vesicular disease that affects cloven-hoofed livestock including cattle, camels, goats, sheep, deer and pigs.

It can cause high fever as well as blisters inside the mouth and on the feet, and spread very quickly if uncontrolled.