Seoul, Dec 25, 2024, IANS

Seoul, Dec 25 (IANS) South Korea has reported an additional case of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, raising the total number of confirmed cases this year to 24, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. The latest case was detected at a cattle farm in Goheung, about 330 kms south of Seoul, which is raising 54 milk cows, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, reports Yonhap news agency. The ministry issued a standstill order for personnel and vehicles associated with the farm and related facilities while conducting disinfection operations to prevent the spread of the disease. LSD is a highly contagious disease that causes skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often resulting in reduced milk production and, in severe cases, death. It affects cattle and buffalo and is transmitted by mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects. In October, South Korea reported an additional case of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle. The latest case was detected at a cattle farm in Chungju, some 147 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The government will deploy all available disinfection vehicles to prevent the spread of the disease, it added. The agriculture ministry has called on provincial governments to stay vigilant against additional cases breaking out across the nation and complete vaccination of cattle by the end of this month. The country reported its first case of LSD in cattle this year in August. The case was confirmed at a livestock farm in Anseong, located some 65 kilometres south of Seoul, breeding 80 cows, the Agriculture Ministry said. It was the first LSD case in South Korea since November last year. Meanwhile, South Korea’s agricultural ministry recently said it plans to commercialise a genetic diagnostic kit for LSD in 2025. According to reports, the genetic kit will help selectively cull infected cattle rather than destroying the entire herd.