MILAN, Italy (Reuters) – The global threat from foot-and-mouth disease has increased after recent outbreaks in Japan and South Korea, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said April 28.
“We … have to ask ourselves if we aren’t facing a possible replay of the disastrous 2001 FMD transcontinental epidemic, which spread to South Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe after earlier incursions in Japan and South Korea,” said FAO chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth.
Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease affecting cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It does not affect humans.
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Even a small outbreak in a previously FMD-free country can cause millions of dollars of losses as global meat and livestock markets are closed off and disease control measures are enforced, Lubroth said.
The FAO urged heightened international surveillance after three FMD outbreaks in four months in Japan and South Korea, which are FMD-free countries, the agency said in a statement.
“We are worried because the rigorous biosecurity measures in place in the two countries were overwhelmed, pointing to a recent, large-scale weight of infection in source areas, very probably in the Far East,” Lubroth said.
In April, Japan confirmed an outbreak of the Type O FMD virus, currently more common in Asian countries where FMD is endemic, while South Korea was hit by Type A in January and then by Type O in April, the FAO said. Japan suspended beef exports in April, and South Korea has started culling animals to contain the outbreak.
The 2001 FMD outbreak caused more than $12 billion of losses to agriculture, livestock trade and tourism in the U.K. where more than six million sheep and cattle were slaughtered to prevent further spread of the disease, FAO said.
The routes taken by the virus in Japan and South Korea have not been identified, but experts say the infection could have occurred through food waste, with pigs eating infected meat scraps, the agency said.
“Under the circumstances, we consider that all countries are at risk and a review of preventive measures and response capacity would be welcome,” Lubroth said.
It is necessary to strengthen biosecurity, boost controls, including more rigorous checks at ports and airports, and ensure earlier disease reporting, the agency said.
