[News Terms] Livestock Farms in Emergency Due to 'Lumpyskin Disease'

High Fever and Loss of Appetite, Swelling in Some Body Parts
Mortality Rate Below 10%, Not Transmissible to Humans

'Lumpy Skin Disease' is a viral disease that mainly occurs in bovine animals such as cattle and water buffalo. The term is a compound of "Lumpy" (meaning lumps) and "Skin," referring to the formation of hard lumps on the skin. It is transmitted by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, and is classified as a Category 1 livestock infectious disease with nodules appearing on the skin. It is also a disease managed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Infected cattle exhibit high fever above 41℃, tearing, nasal discharge, and salivation, along with localized skin pain, swelling of parts or the whole body, and lumps. Affected cattle suffer from loss of appetite and weakness, leading to a sharp decline in milk production. Female cattle may experience miscarriages, and male cattle may become infertile. The mortality rate is below 10%, and since it is not a zoonotic disease, it does not transmit to humans.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, an official from Nonghyup is administering a vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease, a viral disease in cattle, at a livestock farm in Bongnak-ri, Buseok-myeon, Seosan-si, Chungnam.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Since it was first reported in Zambia, Africa in 1929, the disease spread to Eastern Europe and Russia in 2013, and to Asian countries in 2019, with outbreaks in Singapore, Indonesia, India, and others. Last year in India, 2 million cattle were infected with Lumpy Skin Disease, resulting in 150,000 deaths.

The number of confirmed Lumpy Skin Disease cases from domestic livestock farms, first reported on the 20th, has increased to 14. On the 23rd, at the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee hearing, Minister Chung Hwang-geun of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated regarding the confirmed cases, "The total has now risen to 14, and 638 animals have been culled," adding, "The number of confirmed cases is expected to increase further."

After the first domestic confirmation on the 20th, 10 cases were reported over three days in Gyeonggi and Chungnam provinces until the day before, and 4 additional cases were confirmed on this day. The additional confirmed cases were reported from Hanwoo farms in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan and Dangjin Cities, Chungnam Province; and Eumseong County, Chungbuk Province.

Until the day before, confirmed cases had only been reported from farms in Gyeonggi and Chungnam, but for the first time, cases were reported in Chungbuk on this day. Separately, the government is also conducting tests on three suspected cases.

Minister Chung expressed an intention to consider reducing the scope of culling in the future. In response to a related inquiry from Rep. Choi Chun-sik of the People Power Party, Minister Chung said, "Since we are implementing a vaccination policy, after about three weeks, we will consider culling only those animals showing symptoms." The three weeks refer to the period required for antibodies to develop after vaccination.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.