South Korea is currently experiencing its first outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, with five cases confirmed in different regions of the country since last Friday.
The fifth case was confirmed today, Sunday, in a cow on a farm in Gimpo, west of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The country’s first case of lumpy skin disease was confirmed last Friday on a farm in Seosan, about 100 kilometers southwest of the South Korean capital.
Another infection was then recorded in Pyeongtaek, a town located about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, followed by two other positive cases in southern Chungcheong province, in the center of the country.
DNC is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes and other insects and that affects cattle.
It normally produces fever, nodules on the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs, lymphatic inflammation, edema, loss of appetite and sometimes death.
The disease is especially feared in the livestock sector because it causes a high decrease in milk production.
The South Korean Government is already activating measures such as the slaughter of infected animals or the prohibition of moving livestock in certain areas, in addition to campaigns to promote vaccination in order to prevent the disease from spreading further.
