S. Korea reports additional cases of lumpy skin disease in cattle

South Korea confirmed additional cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle at three local farms on Saturday.

The report comes one day after the country confirmed its first-ever case of LSD at a farm in Seosan, located some 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

The second LSD case was confirmed at a farm in Pyeongtaek, located 60 kilometers south of Seoul, where samples were taken from a milk cow showing symptoms of LSD on Friday.

Another case was confirmed at a cattle farm in Dangjin, just north of Seosan, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The fourth case was reported from a Seosan farm located within a 3-kilometer radius of the farm that had the first LSD case Friday, according to local officials.

LSD 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.

Under the country's health protocol, the government has cordoned off the affected farms, with the entire 92 heads of cattle at the Pyeongtaek farm and some 40 cows at the farm in Dangjin set to be culled, according to the agriculture ministry.

A standstill order is also in effect on all farms and related facilities within a 10 kilometer radius of the affected farms until 2 p.m. Sunday, the ministry said.

The government plans to vaccinate some 53,000 heads of cattle in areas near the affected farms, it added. (Yonhap)