South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it has developed a new adjuvant that can bolster the effectiveness of vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

The new adjuvant, dubbed "rpHSP70-AD," is capable of developing antibodies at a faster pace while coping with various strains of FMD, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The latest finding compares with the existing oil-based treatments, which take longer for animals to develop antibodies while lasting for a shorter period.

"The research has paved the way for the development of a homegrown vaccine against the foot-and-mouth disease," the agricultural ministry said in a statement. "The method can be utilized to produce vaccines for other animal diseases as well."

The study will be published in the online edition of a science journal, "npj Vaccines" later this month.

FMD is an acute infectious viral disease that affects livestock, causing fever followed by the development of vesicles, chiefly in the mouth and on the feet. It is one of the most infectious diseases for livestock and can spread rapidly, if uncontrolled. (Yonhap)