Confirmed cases of lumpy skin disease reach 105 in South Korea

Confirmed cases of lumpy skin disease hit 105 in South Korea as of Sunday as health authorities expect the cattle disease to peak later this month, Yonhap reported.

The country has reported 105 confirmed cases nationwide, including two new infections from Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and Gochang, North Jeolla Province, on the previous day, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

South Korea completed the inoculation of all 4.05 million cattle in the country earlier this month.

Following the full inoculation, the government has changed its policy to only cull cattle that have tested positive for lumpy skin.

In the case of Gochang, however, authorities plan to cull all livestock on the affected farm due to a high risk of transmission in the area.

The disease, which does not affect humans, 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.