95% of cattle vaccinated against lumpy skin disease
Quarantine officials vaccinate cattle against lumpy skin disease at a farm in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 1. Yonhap
Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday that 95 percent of cattle in the country have been vaccinated against lumpy skin disease (LSD), amid signs the spread of the disease is starting to subside.
The authorities have inoculated more than 3.85 million out of the country's 4.08 million cows so far to protect them against LSD, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The government launched the intensive vaccination campaign last month after reporting its first-ever case of LSD on Oct. 20 under the plan to vaccinate all cattle by this coming Friday.
It takes around three weeks for cattle to develop antibodies.
The country has since confirmed 83 cases nationwide, including two from Tuesday, and authorities are conducting an in-depth analysis of three suspected cases, the ministry said.
The disease, which does not affect humans, 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. (Yonhap)