SEOUL: More than 84 per cent of cattle in South Korea have been vaccinated against lumpy skin disease (LSD), with the country struggling with the rapidly spreading disease nationwide, officials said on Sunday.

More than 3.45 million cows out of the total 4.07 million here have received shots to protect them against LSD, which does not affect humans but is highly infectious and can lead to death, according to officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

So far, the country has confirmed 78 cases of LSD nationwide, including one new case on Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported.

The government earlier said it plans to vaccinate all cattle by Friday.

South Korea reported its first-ever case of LSD on October 20. The disease causes skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often leading to a fall in milk production and even death.