Lumpy skin disease hits Kinmen, over 200 cattle to be culled and vehicles disinfected
Lumpy skin disease is raging worldwide, with cases reported in 40 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. Taiwan, China reported its first lumpy skin disease case on July 10. The Kinmen Animal Breeding Research Institute conducted ranch visits and cattle culling last weekend. As of the 12th, 199 cattle farms had been inspected and 82 cattle had been culled. After culling, the carcasses were incinerated and destroyed. Currently, 394 farms remain to be visited, and 140 suspected infected cattle remain to be culled.
The Council of Agriculture held an inter-ministerial meeting today (the 13th). Specific measures include disinfecting vehicles and using pesticides in livestock farm environments, and 10,000 doses of vaccine have been ordered from abroad. It is expected that all cattle on the island of Kinmen will be vaccinated, in the hope of containing the outbreak within Kinmen Island and preventing it from spreading to the main island. Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng stated that the virus is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and flies, which can fly a maximum of 30 km per day. Kinmen is separated from the main island of Taiwan by more than 100 km, and if vehicles are thoroughly disinfected, the probability of the disease spreading to the main island is low.
82 culled, 140 awaiting culling; cull immediately once nodules appear
Chen Chi-chung, Minister of the Council of Agriculture and convenor of the Lumpy Skin Disease Emergency Response Team, explained that Kinmen County has 594 cattle farms in total (including the Animal Breeding Research Institute). The 23 infected cattle confirmed last week at the institute plus 51 cattle in the same building, totaling 74 head, have all been culled and incinerated. In addition to the institute, 199 private cattle farms have been visited, with 30 farms and 148 head showing symptoms as suspected cases, of which 8 suspected infected cattle from 2 farms have been culled. Currently, 394 cattle farms remain to be visited, and 140 suspected infected cattle remain to be culled.
Chen Chi-chung stated that there are still 474 cattle awaiting culling at the Animal Breeding Research Institute. Within 3 km of the institute there are 10 suspected case farms, and beyond 3 km there are 20 suspected case farms, covering Jinning Township, Jinsha Township, Jincheng Township and Jinhu Township, totaling 30 farms with 1,097 head of cattle on hand, of which 148 head are showing symptoms. Once symptoms appear, culling will be carried out immediately.
Why not wait for confirmation, but instead cull immediately once symptoms appear? Huang Chin-cheng specifically explained that the symptom of cattle infected with lumpy skin disease is nodules on the skin. This symptom is quite distinctive, and currently no other virus produces similar symptoms. There is a time lag between the appearance of symptoms and sample collection, submission for testing, and confirmation. There is concern that the virus will continue to spread, and waiting for confirmation before culling would be too late.
