By Kim Se-jeong The first case of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea since March 2016 was confirmed, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). The ministry placed an immediate transport ban Monday on all live cattle and pigs across the country for 30 hours. For North Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces hit directly by the animal disease, the ban will stay until next Monday. The ministry said five cows at a dairy farm in Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province, tested positive for the disease. Another suspected case was reported at a farm in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Monday with the test result expected by today. The authorities in Boeun culled all 195 cattle at the first farm as a preventive measure Sunday. Milk from the virus-infected cows could have already been sold to consumers but the ministry said it would not harm any people drinking it because the virus is killed by heat and stomach acid. Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious disease that affects animals with cloven hooves, such as cattle, pigs and goats.
