Seoul, South Korea-South Korea is stepping up its efforts to combat the spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD), which poses a significant threat to the country's beef industry.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, Food and Rural Affairs, 51 LSD cases have been confirmed nationwide since the first outbreak last week. Four new cases were reported on Friday, and an in-depth investigation is underway for three suspected cases. To date, 3,759 cows from 51 farms have been or are set to be culled.
The agriculture ministry is expediting its emergency vaccination program, while the interior ministry is managing the overall vaccination effort based on plans drawn up by local governments. Of the 350,000 cows slated for emergency vaccination, 292,000 have already been inoculated.
In addition, the country is intensifying disinfection work at farms and other high-risk areas, including borders. Testing is also being ramped up at farms adjacent to those already affected.
LSD is a highly infectious disease affecting cattle and buffalo, transmitted via mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including skin lesions and fever, and has the potential to significantly impact milk production and even lead to death.
The impact of the disease on the beef industry is becoming increasingly concerning. Prices of hanwoo beef, a Korean-breed cattle, have risen around 10 percent since the disease's outbreak, according to government data. Despite this, a ministry official stated that the meat stock has grown nearly 40 percent from a year earlier, minimizing the impact on the market.
Retail stores plan to continue promotional events for hanwoo beef, ensuring they have adequate supply for these events even in light of the outbreak. The ministry confirmed that there are approximately 3.56 million cows being raised at local farms.