On Tuesday, the South Korean agriculture ministry declared that they are looking into twelve potential cases of lumpy skin disease in cattle, as health officials are doing their utmost to contain the spread of the illness.
The first outbreak of the disease occurred last Friday, and the country has reported a total of seventeen confirmed cases ever since.
Health authorities have started vaccinating the livestock in the affected areas.
Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun has stated that the disease may still continue to spread for a while, as it takes around three weeks for vaccinated cattle to build up immunity against the disease.
The disease, which has no effect on humans, is a highly contagious illness that causes skin lesions, fever, loss of appetite, and can even lead to a decrease in milk production and death. It is spread among cattle and buffalo through mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects.
An official controls entry to a farm in Eumseong, 84 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2023, in this photo provided by the provincial government. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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