Gyeonggi-do Completes Lumpyskin Disease Vaccination... Expecting End by Late November

Lumpy skin disease vaccination

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 6th that it has completed vaccination against bovine Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) for 474,426 cattle across 7,616 cattle farms in the province by the 5th.

Originally, Gyeonggi Province planned to complete the vaccination by the 12th of this month, but to achieve rapid immunity formation, they organized vaccination teams consisting of public veterinarians, private veterinarians, livestock cooperatives, and public officials (121 teams with 284 people) to conduct emergency vaccinations, completing the process one week ahead of schedule.

The vaccine used in this vaccination is a product used in the European Union (EU), with proven efficacy and safety.

Gyeonggi Province explained that Lumpy Skin Disease infects only cattle and that all cattle on affected farms are being culled, assuring that beef, milk, and other food products distributed in the market are safe to consume.

Following the completion of vaccination, Gyeonggi Province plans to focus all efforts on disinfection to block blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes and flies, which are known vectors of Lumpy Skin Disease.

Since the 1st of this month, Gyeonggi Province has been mobilizing all disinfection and pest control vehicles to conduct daily pest control and disinfection targeting mosquito habitats such as barns and surrounding water puddles in cooperation with farms, continuing until the 10th.

Kim Jong-hoon, Director of the Livestock Animal Welfare Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The end of November, three weeks after vaccination when antibodies are formed, will be a turning point for eradicating Lumpy Skin Disease," adding, "Considering that this year's temperatures are warmer than usual, we are focusing on pest control and surveillance. We ask farms to report immediately if any suspicious symptoms appear."

Since the first outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease at a Hanwoo farm in Seosan City, Chungnam Province on October 19, Gyeonggi Province has reported 26 cases in nine cities and counties including Gimpo and Hwaseong, starting from a dairy farm in Cheongbuk-myeon, Pyeongtaek City on October 20.