Incheon: The first case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in nine months was confirmed at a cattle farm in Incheon on Saturday, authorities said. The case was reported in the county of Ganghwa, prompting authorities to raise the relevant warning level from "attention" to "serious" in Incheon and the nearby city of Gimpo.

According to Yonhap News Agency, quarantine and epidemiologic experts have been sent to the affected farm to help stop the spread of the disease, while 246 cows on the ranch will be culled in line with relevant procedures. FMD is an acute infectious viral disease that causes illness in cows, pigs, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals, although it does not affect humans.

The government has issued a 48-hour standstill order on workers and vehicles with access to farms and other livestock-related facilities in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. Nearly 40 pieces of disinfectant equipment will be used to disinfect farms and nearby roads in Incheon and Gimpo. The last time FMD was confirmed in the country was in April.