Temporary Suspension of Movement for Livestock Workers and Vehicles in the Province
On the 30th, a suspected case of Lumpy Skin Disease reported at a Korean cattle farm in Daesan-myeon, Uichang-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, was confirmed at 10:40 PM that night.
According to Gyeongnam Province on the 31st, the cow showing suspicious symptoms such as skin nodules was finally confirmed positive for Lumpy Skin Disease.
Among the 20,000 cattle raised at 454 farms within a 10 km radius of the farm where Lumpy Skin Disease first occurred in the Gyeongnam area, no cases have been reported so far.
Access is restricted near a cattle farm in Daesan-myeon, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, where a confirmed case of Lumpy Skin Disease has been reported. [Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]
Gyeongnam Province plans to promptly cull 29 cattle raised at the affected farm according to the emergency Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent further spread.
The culled cattle will be buried in a temporary storage facility made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) within the farm to prevent secondary environmental contamination from leachate and other sources.
Earlier, upon receiving the report, livestock quarantine officers from the Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory collected samples on-site and requested a detailed examination from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency.
At the affected farm, an initial response team and an epidemiological investigation team were deployed to control the entry of outsiders, livestock, and vehicles, and to strengthen epidemiological investigations, disinfection, and insect control measures to identify the cause.
A 24-hour standstill order was issued from 11 PM on the 30th to 11 PM on the 31st for livestock farms, slaughterhouses, feed factories, and other livestock-related facilities and vehicles in the province.
Cattle suspected of being infected with Lumpy Skin Disease. Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government
On the same day, the province secured 10,000 doses of Lumpy Skin Disease vaccine and plans to quickly complete vaccination targeting all cattle farms in the Changwon area.
Vaccines will also be supplied to farms in other regions by November 1, and all available personnel will be mobilized to complete vaccinations early.
Kang Gwang-sik, Director of Animal Quarantine at Gyeongnam Province, said, “We will make every effort to block the spread by rapid culling, vaccination, and intensive disinfection to prevent Lumpy Skin Disease from spreading.”
He added, “Since it takes three weeks to secure sufficient immunity after vaccination, cattle farms should promptly complete vaccination, carry out deworming work such as insecticide spraying, and disinfect the farm and surrounding equipment. If any livestock show suspicious symptoms, please report immediately to the livestock quarantine officers.”
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