(ATTN: UPDATES with additional confirmed cases, other details from para 2)
In an effort to contain the spread of lumpy skin disease, health authorities have increased the vaccination of cattle, as the outbreak shows no sign of abating. On Tuesday afternoon, two more cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 69. South Korea reported its first-ever case of the viral infection on October 20.
At the 69 affected farms, 4,966 cattle have been or are scheduled to be culled. Vaccines for 1.27 million cattle were purchased on Saturday, followed by 630,000 more doses on Sunday and 2.1 million doses on Tuesday. The government plans to finish the vaccination program by November 10; it usually takes around three weeks for cattle to build up antibodies.
The disease, which does not affect humans, is highly contagious, causing skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often resulting in a decrease in milk production and even death.
Cattle wait to be vaccinated at a farm in Seosan, 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul, in this file photo taken Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)