A total of 117 head of cattle in a county in the South Korean industrial city of Ulsan were found to be infected with brucellosis, according to the Ulsan Livestock Technology Institute Saturday.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria of the genus brucella. Various brucella bacteria are known to affect cattle, pigs and dogs as well as humans. Female pregnant cows infected with brucellosis always will abort.

The authorities in the Ulju county in the country's largest industrial city of Ulsan, 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said all the cows found infected with the disease will be slaughtered and buried.

The officials, however, said the number of infected cattle may increase as they are still in the process of screening some 13,000head around the city.

The city's quarantine officials have already examined more than4,500 cows within city limits, according to the officials.

Source: Xinhua