Skin disease now killing cattle daily, say Korat farmers

LSD has spread to 75,000 cattle in Thailand, killing 9,000 animals, the Livestock Department reported on Tuesday. Around 9,000 had also recovered from the disease, it added.

Vipot Prachit, chief of Non Muang village, told reporters on Thursday that over 100 cattle in his area were infected with LSD, which is causing deaths on a daily basis.

The disease, which cannot be transmitted to humans, causes lower milk yield, damage to the hide, and in severe cases, death.

Locals are calling for assistance from the government to compensate for financial losses from the deaths.

Local farmer Pranom Mandee, 57, said that 10 of his 45 cattle were now infected with LSD, and one has already died.

He said he and fellow farmers are in urgent need of government assistance as no medicine is available to treat the infected animals.

A government campaign to vaccinate cattle against LSD began this week, but the vaccine needs to be imported and doses are limited.

A shipment of 264,000 doses arrived earlier this month, with another 36,000 doses expected this week. A batch of 60,000 doses was procured by the Livestock Department last month.

So far, doses have been distributed to Nakhon Ratchasima and Kalasin province, also in the Northeast.