Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the fourth meeting of the Headquarters against Foot-and-Mouth Disease at the Prime Minister's Office after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture.

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister said, "Based on the experience of Ebino City which has already been normalized, swift initial response is, above all else, crucial in order to prevent the spread of the disease. This was also affirmed yesterday at the third meeting of the Headquarters against Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Regarding this outbreak, I heard that the slaughter of all the suspected animals has already been completed and disinfection points have been set up. We will continue to hasten measures to prevent transmission such as burying the slaughtered animals, as well as conducting rigorous disinfection work. Aside from officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 30 members of the Self-Defense Forces and about 140 police officers have already been dispatched to conduct disinfection work. We will continue to swiftly implement necessary measures including additional dispatches from the Ministry of Defense, the National Police Agency, and other relevant ministries. We will work as one, with a sense of urgency, to tackle this issue."