There appears to be a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cows in South Korea. At a farm north of Seoul, six cows tested positive. It would be the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the country in 8 years.

South Korea confirmed on Thursday a fresh outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in pigs and cows.

At a farm in Pocheon about 30 miles north of Seoul, six out of 185 cows have tested positive for the disease.

In 2002, more than 12,000 animals at six farms got slaughtered after pigs tested positive for the highly infectious disease.

The government pledged to contain the disease promptly.

[Lee Chang-beom, South Korean Agricultural Ministry]: (Korean, male)
"As a result of our discussion regarding quarantine measures, we decided to slaughter all the cattle and pigs within a 1,600 foot radius of the infected farm.”

South Korean authorities say it is unlikely that foot-and-mouth will spread nationally. The disease can kill cloven-hoofed animals such as pigs and cows but is harmless to humans.

Ministry officials said there had been panic selling of meat by farmers on the local markets.