The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Monday that the government intends to finish vaccinating all cattle across the country by Nov. 10 in order to contain the spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD).
Vaccines for 2.43 million cattle have already been distributed, with an additional 2.1 million doses set to arrive Tuesday. Since the outbreak of the viral infection on Oct. 20, 64 cases have been confirmed, with four more suspected.
Due to the three-week period it takes for vaccinated cattle to develop protective antibodies against LSD, the number of cases is expected to increase in the near future. However, the government has also planned to inoculate all cattle again next year, as the vaccine immunity lasts for approximately one year.
LSD, which does not affect humans, is a highly infectious disease that causes skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often leading to a decrease in milk production and even death. It is spread to cattle and buffalo through mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects.
Cattle wait to be vaccinated at a farm in Seosan, 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
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