Identification and Isolation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus from Primary Suspect Cases in Korea in 2000.

The Republic of Korea had been free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) since 1934, until a recent outbreak in 2000. From March to April 2000, a total of 15 FMD outbreaks due to the serotype O virus were recorded. Coincidental outbreaks of FMD in cattle or pigs by the serotype O virus were reported in the region, including Taiwan, China, Japan, Russia and Mongolia. In this report, the results of emergency investigations of FMD cases on a dairy farm located approximately 5-km from the demilitarized zone in Korea are described. The causative agent of the disease was identified as the FMD virus O by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays using primers derived from the 3D polymerase, internal ribosome entry site (IRES), 1D/2B regions, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antigen detection and typing. Sequence data of the partial 1D/2B region obtained from vesicular fluid showed close similarity (98% sequence identity) to the Kinmen isolate of the FMD virus O in Taiwan. The causative virus was isolated using black goat fetal lung cells following propagation in unweaned mice.