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| ▲ Cattle wait to be vaccinated at a farm in Seosan, 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul, in this file photo taken Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) cattle disease-outbreak
(LEAD) S. Korea rolls out pest control program to contain lumpy skin disease
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SEJONG, Nov. 1 (Yonhap) -- Agricultural authorities launched a nationwide pest control campaign against blood-feeding insects amid growing concerns over the spread of lumpy skin disease among cattle, officials said Wednesday.
The program, which will run through Nov. 10, followed the possibility that mosquitoes or other insects that were transported by air current or ships, may have been responsible for the country's first-ever outbreak of the viral infection on Oct. 20.
So far, South Korea has confirmed 74 cases of the disease, including four from Wednesday. Authorities are investigating one suspected case as well.
The government also plans to complete its vaccination program by Nov. 10, and it typically takes around three weeks for cattle to develop antibodies.
The disease, which does not affect humans, is highly infectious, causing skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often leading to a fall in milk production and even death.
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