South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it plans to roll out vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) by May as the country raises its guard against the potential outbreak of the acute infectious viral disease.

Under the plan, all cattle and goats from 117,000 farms across the nation, estimated at 4.25 million units, will be required to receive the jabs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The inoculation program will be carried out through mid-May.

Domestic pigs are excluded as they are already vaccinated through separate programs, the ministry added.

FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals, also including sheep and deer. It is one of the most infectious diseases for livestock and can spread rapidly, if uncontrolled.

South Korea has not reported a FMD case since February 2019.

"The country, however, could experience another outbreak of FMD, considering that the cases are still observed in China and Vietnam," the ministry said in a statement, urging all farms to follow the preventive measure. (Yonhap)