SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) — South Korea is rapidly vaccinating cattle and enforcing quarantine procedures to stop the spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD). Since the initial outbreak last week, 47 cases have been confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. An additional nine cases were reported the previous day, with seven suspected cases being investigated.
3,321 cows from 47 farms have been killed or are scheduled to be killed. The most worrying case was reported in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, which is known for its Korean-breed cattle called “hanwoo.” Hoengseong is an ideal environment for cattle farming, and the local government is attempting to market the county as a source of quality beef.
Over 62,000 cows are being raised in the area, according to government data. The agriculture ministry is making efforts to obtain more vaccines from abroad, and the interior ministry is managing the vaccination program based on plans from each local government. 217,000 out of 253,000 cows have been vaccinated so far.
The government is using all resources available to disinfect farms, related facilities, and border areas. Testing is being conducted on nearby farms as a precautionary measure. LSD is a viral infection that does not affect humans, but it causes skin lesions, fever, and loss of appetite in cattle and buffalo. It is spread through mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects.
It takes around three weeks for vaccinated cattle to develop antibodies against the disease, according to officials. graceoh@yna.co.kr (END)