JAPAN'S foot and mouth outbreak has worsened, with more than 200,000 stock either destroyed or to be killed.
The initial outbreak in mid-April has spread, with more than 150 cases in the Miyazaki prefecture in southern Japan.
It has also claimed one of the country's prized stud bulls which was destroyed at the weekend despite being moved from the region and kept in isolation.
Another five bulls, sent to a secure area to try to maintain genetics, are being watched to see if they show symptoms of the disease.
The disease is believed to have come to Japan from either Hong Kong or Korea and authorities are now saying it is the country's worst ever outbreak.
Department of Primary Industries animal standards manager Tony Britt said Japan was a developed country with "sophisticated border security" so the current outbreak and rapid spread should be concerning for countries like Australia.
"What it means is that we (Australia) need to maintain our excellent border security," Mr Britt said.
"But we also need to be vigilant and have systems in place in case there is the worst case scenario of an outbreak in Australia."
However, there appears to be no impact on meat sales in Japan, one of Australia's largest beef customers.
Meat and Livestock Australia said the trade was monitoring the situation carefully.
"Retailers and foodservice outlets continue to sell beef while the wholesale market has been trading as usual," it reported in its bulletin, Meat and Livestock Weekly.
"There has been no visible impact to meat consumption so far."
