October 24, 2023

South Korea takes urgent measures to combat lumpy skin disease outbreak

South Korea is grappling with an escalating outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in its central region, reporting six additional cases, as health authorities in the country look to contain the spread of the highly infectious disease, Yonhap News Agency reported.

These new cases have pushed the official tally of confirmed LSD cases to 10, after South Korea's first-ever case was confirmed on a farm in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, located about 98 km southwest of Seoul.

Among the six new cases, three have been identified in the vicinity of the initial LSD outbreak in Seosan. Quarantine officials have been swiftly deployed to these affected farms, where they are being placed in quarantine.

In light of the initial LSD outbreak, authorities raised the alarm, implementing the highest level of readiness within the country's animal disease control system. The focus is on stringent preventive measures against this highly contagious disease.

In a meeting, the government-led disease control headquarters warned that additional LSD cases are anticipated in South Chungcheong, which has already reported seven confirmed cases.

Health authorities have unveiled plans to vaccinate approximately 53,000 cattle in livestock farms located in South Chungcheong Province and Gyeonggi Province, home to three infected farms. Discussions are also underway with the finance ministry to secure vaccines for 1.7 million cattle.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said strong measures are needed to contain the outbreak, including the culling of affected animals and imposing standstill orders to prevent the disease from spreading to other regions, as reported by his office on Saturday. Efforts to vaccinate animals are also being encouraged to halt the disease's further dissemination.

-      Yonhap News Agency