The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has declared that about 82 percent of cattle have been immunized against lumpy skin disease (LSD) in an effort to contain the outbreak. As reported, 438,000 cows have been vaccinated, with 3,758 having to be slaughtered due to positive diagnoses. Moreover, three new cases were documented on Saturday, with four more being investigated.
The Ministry is striving to procure more vaccines from abroad and the Ministry of the Interior is managing the vaccine program based on plans from each local government. The inoculation is projected to be finished by the beginning of November, though the number of cases is anticipated to continue rising.
LSD, which does not affect humans, is a highly contagious illness that induces skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, and can lead to a decrease in milk production and even death. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects.
On Tuesday, a cow that was waiting to be immunized escaped from a farm in Imsil, 218 kilometers south of Seoul. Fortunately, the animal returned to the farm and was not infected with the disease.