Officials control entry to a farm in Eumseong, 84 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea reported four additional cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD), amid growing concerns over the nationwide spread of the highly infectious disease, the agricultural ministry said Monday.
“There have been 14 cases of infection, with 638 units being culled so far,” Agricultural Minister Chung Hwang-keun said during an audit session at the National Assembly.
Two of the additional cases were reported from South Chungcheong Provice, with Gyeonggi and North Chungcheong Province each reporting one additional case.
South Korea reported its first LSD case ever in South Chungcheong Province on Friday.
“The number of confirmed cases will further rise,” Chung added.
LSD is a highly infectious disease that causes skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often leading to a fall in milk production and even death. It affects cattle and buffalo via mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects.
The disease, however, does not affect humans.
Currently, the government is destroying all cattle at infected farms.
“If we do not carry out culling at infected farms, the disease may spread to other areas, including the retail network,” Chung said, noting that the affected farmers will be fully compensated.
(Yonhap)
