Four more outbreaks of lumpy skin disease declared in Alt Empordà

Concern continues to rise in Catalonia over the spread of lumpy skin disease among cattle, with four new outbreaks of the virus detected on farms in the Alt Empordà region of Girona, in northern Catalonia.

A total of eighteen cattle on farms in Peralada, Pedret i Marzà, Palau-saverdera, and Vilabertran have tested positive for the virus, potentially affecting nearly 800 head of cattle in the area.

In fact, one of the affected farms alone has nearly 600 animals, all now at risk of contracting this highly contagious virus that spreads easily among livestock.

These four new outbreaks come in addition to the five previously detected in the same region, and the area of impact remains unchanged.

The Department of Agriculture began vaccinating animals in the affected zones last week, though more outbreaks may still appear, as it takes up to 21 days for animals to develop immunity after vaccination.

The strategy being followed involves immunizing livestock starting from the farms nearest to the infection sites and gradually expanding outward, covering a radius of between 3 and 5 kilometers.

At the same time, vaccination is also being carried out inward from a perimeter located about 20 kilometers away from the affected farms, with the goal of creating a "barrier effect" to contain the spread of the disease.

The first outbreaks were detected at the beginning of the month in Alt Empordà and marked the first confirmed cases of lumpy skin disease in Spain. These detections come after 67 outbreaks in France and 47 in Italy, according to official data.

The disease, which affects cattle but does not transmit to humans, either through direct contact or by consuming animal products, is highly contagious among livestock.

It spreads both through direct contact between infected and healthy animals and, very effectively, indirectly through biting insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, and horseflies, which can easily transmit the virus between nearby farms.