Foot-and-mouth spreads in Japan
TOKYO: One of Japan’s most prized stud bulls has been infected with foot-and-mouth disease, the Japanese government said yesterday, as the country’s first outbreak in a decade continues to devastate livestock.
The discovery was a blow to the southern prefecture of Miyazaki, which evacuated the region’s six top seed bulls, including the affected animal. The disease has hit more than 100 farms in the area.
The highly contagious virus has brought to a halt all Japanese beef and pork exports for the past month and crippled the premium beef industry in Miyazaki.
Comment: Hideous disease that spreads rapidly.