▲ In this file photo, a farmer vaccinates cattle at a farm in Ulju, 297 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 1, 2023. (Yonhap)

cattle disease-outbreak

Authorities to cull test-positive cattle as vaccination against lumpy skin disease completed

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- The agriculture ministry said Monday it plans to cull test-positive cattle as the nationwide vaccine drive against lumpy skin disease (LSD) was completed last week.

Under the plan, health authorities will conduct clinical tests on the entire herd at farms reporting lumpy skin disease infections and selectively cull only those that test positive, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs.

Earlier, authorities implemented a policy of destroying all cattle at farms that reported an outbreak.

Areas with high risks of LSD infections, however, will still be subject to an all-out culling policy, the ministry said.

On Saturday, the ministry said it has completed inoculating some 4.05 million cattle in the country to protect them against LSD after launching the vaccination campaign following its first-ever outbreak in late October.

Authorities, meanwhile, plan to remain vigilant for the time being as it will take three weeks for the cattle to develop antibodies.

The country has confirmed 91 cases nationwide so far but did not report any additional cases the previous day.

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