November 21, 2023

South Korea on high alert as LSD strikes largest cattle farm province

South Korea's animal disease prevention headquarters has elevated its alert status following a reported case of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in North Gyeongsang province, the nation's primary cattle farming region, Aju Korea Daily reported.

This comes approximately one month after the first instance of the infectious cattle disease was identified in the southwestern region of South Korea.

North Gyeongsang Province disclosed that an LSD infection case emerged at a cattle farm in Gimcheon, located approximately 190 km south of Seoul on November 14. North Gyeongsang Province holds a significant position as the central hub for South Korea's cattle farming, housing around 850,000 cattle, constituting 21% of the country's total cattle capacity.

Upon the discovery of the infected cow, immediate isolation measures were implemented, and quarantine procedures were initiated to curb the potential spread of the disease. The infected animal will be culled, and a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to assess the extent of the infection among other cows. Additionally, a lockdown spanning a 10 km radius around the affected area will restrict the movement of approximately 180,000 cattle from other farms for a duration of four weeks.

Since October 20, South Korea has reported a total of 95 LSD cases.

-      Aju Korea Daily