聯合國糧食及農業組織（FAO）27日向亞洲地區國家的獸醫和境管局發佈，韓國爆發前所未有的口蹄病疫情消息。敦促各國當局警惕任何可能透過高傳染性疾病而致使家畜感染的跡象，並鼓勵主動採取施打疫苗接種的行動。
FAO首席獸醫官盧布羅茲（Juan Lubroth）表示，目前亞洲的疫情令人擔憂。由於臨近農曆新年假期，該地區大量的人潮將在此期間流動，其中很多人身邊會攜帶肉類甚或部分人士還會將動物運輸到各地。
口蹄疫乃是由病毒所引起的，偶蹄類動物如牛、綿羊、山羊和豬等，感染該病毒時會有發高燒的現象。病毒攻擊的特點為動物的嘴和腳。所幸該疾病對人類並無影響。
自從2010年11月28日在安東，慶尚北道的養牛場發現牛隻對病毒呈現陽性反應開始，即使南韓政府已下令實施隔離、對900萬的豬隻和300萬頭的牛施打疫苗並宰殺近220萬頭牲畜，仍無法遏制疫情蔓延。
據FAO的説法，至今南韓的整體口蹄疫防治工作費用估計為16億美元。
盧布羅茲表示：「目前口蹄疫在東亞蔓延的速度，以及在韓國爆發的幅度，是過去至少半個世紀以來所未見的，因此眼前做好準備工作和嚴密監測顯得極為重要。」
FAO亞洲地區跨國動物疾病傳染緊急行動中心經理薩布哈什‧ 摩爾扎利亞（Subhash Morzaria）認爲，該疫情應視爲區域性問題。
他說，該機構的亞太區域辦事處正緊鑼密鼓籌備會議，邀請各東亞國家首要獸醫官員商討疫情，並協調相關措施。
盧布羅茲表示，當處理病毒疫情時，各國應謹守決議後公認的做法，充分將動物福利和對環境的影響納入考量。
FAO表示，口蹄疫近幾年已蔓延到中國東部地區，甚至首次登陸了俄羅斯和蒙古。
最近受疫情影響的還有估計近150萬的蒙古瞪羚，而其遷徙的行動很可能為將該病毒帶入中國的幫兇。FAO已派出緊急救援隊前往蒙古協助當局處理疫情。
感染該疾病動物的初期跡象為口鼻釋出大量的排泄物。口蹄疫病毒在受染動物體外可存活數小時，尤其是在寒冷和潮濕的環境中。
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization today notified veterinary and border authorities in Asia of an unprecedented outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea, urging them to be alert for livestock showing signs of infection by the highly contagious disease and urging proactive vaccination campaigns.
Juan Lubroth, FAO's chief veterinary officer, said that the situation in Asia is a cause for concern, given the approaching Lunar New Year holiday during which large numbers of people will be on the move in the region, many of them carrying meat and some transporting animals.
Foot-and-mouth disease is caused by a virus that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, causing high fever. It is characterized by lesions in the animals' mouths and feet. The disease does not affect humans.
Since a cattle farm in Andong, North Gyeongsang was found to be positive for the virus on November 28, 2010, South Korea has been unable to curb the spread of the disease even though the government has imposed quarantines, initiated a vaccination campaign targeting nine million pigs and three million head of cattle, and culled 2.2 million animals.
The overall cost of the foot-and-mouth disease control effort in South Korea to date is estimated at $1.6 billion, according to the FAO.
"The current FMD dynamics in eastern Asia, as well as the magnitude of the outbreak in South Korea, are unlike anything that we've seen for at least a half century," said Lubroth. "This makes preparedness and monitoring extremely important right now."
Subhash Morzaria, the Asia regional manager of FAO's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease Operations, said the outbreak must be tackled as a regional problem.
He said the agency's regional office for Asia and the Pacific is planning a meeting of chief veterinary officers of East Asian countries to discuss the situation and coordinate their response.
Lubroth said that when responding to outbreaks, countries should adhere to accepted practices that adequately take animal welfare and environmental impacts into account.
Foot-and-mouth disease has spread through China in recent years and entered eastern regions of Russia and Mongolia for the first time, the FAO said.
The disease recently affected an estimated 1.5 million Mongolian gazelles, whose migration may have helped carry the virus into China. FAO sent an emergency response team to Mongolia to help authorities cope with the disease.
One of the early signs of the disease in infected animals is the excessive production of saliva and nasal discharges. The foot-and-mouth disease virus may survive for several hours outside the infected animal, especially in cold and humid environments.
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