Fresh Suspected Case of Foot-And-Mouth Discovered in Japan

Japan discovered a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease in a cow in its southern prefecture of Miyazaki, just days after it lifted a state of emergency, an official said.

"We cancelled two auctions of cows in the prefecture after a suspected case of foot and mouth was discovered on a farm," a prefecture official told AFP.

The region reported the case to the farm ministry and was awaiting the test result to determine if it is a fresh foot-and-mouth case.

The highly contagious virus, which rarely affects humans but sickens cloven-hoofed animals, had forced the suspension of meat sales from Miyazaki prefecture and the slaughter of almost 300,000 farm animals this year.

But the prefectural government on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency, allowing trade of cows in the region to resume.

Source: AFP