Seoul
South Korea has confirmed another case of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, bringing the total number of cases this year to 15, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Monday.
The latest case was identified at a farm in Chungju, located approximately 147 kilometers south of Seoul. In response, the ministry has issued a 24-hour standstill order for personnel and vehicles linked to the farm and related facilities in six nearby regions. The government plans to deploy disinfection vehicles to curb the spread of the disease.
Last week, a case was also reported at a farm in Munkyong, around 140 kilometers southeast of the capital. LSD is highly contagious and causes symptoms such as skin lesions, fever, and loss of appetite, which can lead to reduced milk production and, in severe instances, death. The disease is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects.
The agriculture ministry is urging provincial governments to remain vigilant for further outbreaks and to complete the vaccination of cattle by the end of the month. South Korea recorded its first LSD case this year in August at a farm in Anseong, about 65 kilometers south of Seoul, marking the first occurrence since November of the previous year.
Looking ahead, the ministry plans to commercialize a genetic diagnostic kit for LSD by 2025, which will allow for the selective culling of infected cattle rather than the destruction of entire herds. This new technology, developed with Median Diagnostics, promises results within eight hours, a significant improvement over previous methods that took about a week.
