Susppected Cases of Lumpyskin Disease Reported in 'Incheon and Gangwon'... "The Next Two Weeks Are Critical"

Total of 17 Confirmed Cases Since First Occurrence on the 20th
12 Suspected Cases Under Investigation... "Additional Occurrences Inevitable"

Since the first occurrence of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in South Korea on the 20th, the number of cases has increased to 17 within four days. The affected areas have expanded from Chungnam to Gyeonggi and Chungbuk provinces. Suspected cases have also been reported in Incheon and Gangwon. Considering the initial outbreak date and the incubation period (approximately two weeks), the next two weeks are expected to be critical.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Lumpy Skin Disease on the 24th, seven additional LSD infections were confirmed the previous day, bringing the total to 17 cases across seven cities and counties as of 8 a.m.

Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral disease that infects only cattle. It is not transmissible to humans. It is characterized by high fever and skin nodules (hard lumps). The disease is mainly spread by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes, and the mortality rate is below 10%. A spokesperson from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated, "Considering the incubation period of about 14 days, the approximately two weeks from the first outbreak on the 20th will be the period to determine whether the disease spreads further."

Both the number of cases and affected regions are increasing. After the first case was reported on the 20th at a Korean cattle farm in Seosan, Chungnam, three cases were confirmed on the 21st, six on the 22nd, and seven on the 23rd. The affected areas have spread from Chungnam to the West Coast regions such as Gimpo and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi, and further inland to Eumseong in Chungbuk.

Jung Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (File photo) Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

There is also a high possibility of the disease spreading beyond the currently affected areas. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is currently conducting tests on 12 suspected cases. These farms include locations in the existing affected regions as well as Incheon and Gangwon. Considering that only one farm tested negative among those tested so far, the spread to other regions appears inevitable. Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, expressed concern during a comprehensive audit by the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, stating, "It takes three weeks for vaccine antibodies to form, and until then, there is a significant possibility of many more cases."

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is mobilizing about 600 disinfection vehicles nationwide for simultaneous disinfection and is intensively managing biosecurity measures such as disinfecting livestock barns and pest control at farms. In addition, they are conducting trace investigations into the virus’s entry routes and plan to expedite vaccination to prevent further spread. Considering the stockpiled vaccine quantities and the outbreak situation, emergency vaccination of cattle farms within the quarantine zones will be completed swiftly by the end of this month, with additional vaccines to be procured by early next month to secure doses for 2.3 million cattle. Vaccinations will be focused on the affected and high-risk areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects the impact of LSD outbreaks on beef and milk prices to be limited. So far, a total of 1,075 Korean cattle and dairy cows are being raised on farms where LSD has occurred. All these animals will be culled, but as of September this year, the total Korean cattle population is 3.56 million, which is 8.6% higher than the average year. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters anticipates that while beef prices may temporarily rise due to movement restrictions, the overall supply and demand and prices will be minimally affected considering the herd size. Furthermore, since raw milk prices have already been set, there will be no changes in raw milk and milk prices.

The government plans to provide 100% compensation to affected farms. Minister Jeong stated, "After vaccine antibodies have formed, we will prepare measures to narrow the scope of culling to only those animals showing symptoms of LSD. Unlike foot-and-mouth disease, LSD is not at a stage where farmers can be held responsible, and 100% compensation will be provided for culling."

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