The 2010 Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreakin Miyazaki Prefecture

In April, 2010, Foot-and-mouth disease reoccurred in Miyazaki Prefecture for the first time in 10 years. Compared to the outbreak in 2000 in which no infection among pigs was observed, a total of 292 infected farms were involved in this epidemic, requiring that infected animals – 37,400 cattle, 173,300 pigs, 42 water buffalos, 14 goats, and 8 sheep – be culled and buried. First-time vaccination in Japan was performed to reduce the speed of virus spread. In the end, a total of approximately 87,000 head of vaccinated animals also were slaughtered. The outbreak had continued for 2.5 month, and the ban on animal movements was eased 3 months after the first occurrence.