Lumpy Skin Disease Vaccination to Shift to 'Farmers' Autonomy' After 2026... Plans to Reduce Culling Targets Also Underway

The government has decided to ease quarantine management levels by switching to voluntary vaccination for Lumpy Skin Disease and reducing the scope of culling targets.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 27th that it will implement the "Lumpy Skin Disease Mid- to Long-term Quarantine Management Improvement Plan" to minimize the risk of Lumpy Skin Disease occurrence and establish a foundation for disease-free status.

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Lumpy Skin Disease is a livestock disease that infects only cattle, causing high fever, loss of appetite, and skin nodules, ultimately leading to growth retardation and skin damage. It first occurred in domestic cattle farms in October 2023, with 107 cases reported that year. In 2024, the number of cases significantly decreased to 24.

First, the government plans to conduct a nationwide mass vaccination of approximately 3.9 million cattle in April this year, with calves newly born to be vaccinated after four months of age when maternal antibodies decline. However, vaccination will be deferred for cows in late pregnancy and sick cattle, with vaccination administered immediately once the reasons for deferral are resolved.

From 2026, vaccination will be switched to voluntary by farms. A Ministry of Agriculture official stated, "We plan to comprehensively review the disease occurrence situation this year, vector insect surveillance results, and farm-level biosecurity status to decide whether to maintain mandatory vaccination in some high-risk areas. In the long term, if there is a period of no occurrence and the risk of vector insect introduction decreases, we will also consider stopping nationwide vaccination to establish a disease-free foundation."

When vaccination is mandatory, the government supports vaccination costs for farms, but under voluntary vaccination, farms will bear the vaccination costs.

Quarantine management levels will also be relaxed. Through legal amendments, Lumpy Skin Disease, currently classified as a Class 1 livestock infectious disease, will be downgraded to Class 2. Upon reclassification to Class 2, current disease control measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines on livestock, people, and vehicles at the regional level will be adjusted to the farm or individual level. Additionally, the culling target will be reduced from "all cattle on affected farms" to "only positive animals."

Risk-based control and surveillance of vector insects such as stable flies and mosquitoes, which transmit Lumpy Skin Disease, will be strengthened. Intensive control will be conducted by professional pest control companies in high-risk cities and counties based on existing outbreak areas and risk assessments, as well as at 13 ports on the west coast with high likelihood of vector introduction. Furthermore, vector insect surveillance will be expanded to farms in four provinces (Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Jeonbuk) where Lumpy Skin Disease occurred frequently, and the number of aerial traps in regions on domestic entry routes will increase from 15 to 18 locations to collect, classify, and test vectors for viruses. When viruses are detected, results will be immediately provided to farms to strengthen self-control measures, activating an early warning system.

Moreover, to support voluntary farm biosecurity, vulnerable points will be intensively managed. From April to November, the active period of vector insects, the following risk management measures will be implemented to block virus introduction into farms and minimize outbreak risks: strengthening biosecurity at 88 livestock markets, mandating vaccination certificates during transactions, enhancing self-control and inspections at 160 feed manufacturing companies, operating nationwide simultaneous pest control and disinfection days (every Wednesday), and conducting focused inspections of biosecurity at high-risk cities, counties, and farms.

Choi Jeong-rok, Director of the Quarantine Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, said, "The purpose of this improvement plan is to reduce the burden on farms and increase the efficiency of quarantine management by shifting from government-led to voluntary farm biosecurity. For the successful establishment of voluntary biosecurity, the most important mindset is 'I protect my farm.' We ask that basic quarantine rules such as pest control, disinfection, and cleaning within farms be strictly followed."

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