SKorea kills cows, pigs over disease outbreak risk

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean is slaughtering more than 2,500 cows and pigs after foot-and-mouth disease was detected at a farm. Agriculture Ministry official Lee Sang-soo said nine cows at a farm in Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, tested positive for the disease Saturday. Lee said quarantine workers are killing 384 cows and 2,200 pigs near the outbreak site as a precaution. South Korea has slaughtered more than 5,900 animals since January when the country's first outbreak of the disease in eight years was reported. Foot-and-mouth disease is often fatal for cloven-hoofed animals including cows, sheep, pigs and goats, causing blisters on the mouth and feet. It does not affect humans. — AP