Nodular dermatitis spreads: first case detected outside Alt Empordà

A new case of lumpy skin disease in Cassà de la Selva (Gironès) on a farm with 151 cows, of which 4 have been affected. This is the tenth outbreak of the disease detected in Catalonia and the first to be declared outside of the Alt EmpordàThis, along with three other outbreaks detected in Northern Catalonia, has meant that the disease's protection radius has had to be modified.

Recalculating this protection radius entails adopting the same containment and movement restriction measures that had been taken within the same 50 kilometers. The Department of Agriculture states that the vaccination strategy will have to move forward to cover the cattle in the surveillance zone. It had already ordered new batches of vaccine doses to cover new radii.

The Cassà de la Selva cattle farmer affected by the new outbreak of the disease received notification of the situation this Thursday. The Ministry of Agriculture has assured that all the support measures announced by the Catalan government will be available, including psychological support from the Ministry of Health (SEM). In addition, compensation payments for affected farmers will be advanced through the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF).

The vaccination process for lumpy skin disease (LLD) of cattle located within the protection zone in Girona restarted yesterday, following the arrival of the second batch of vaccines from the European Union reserve fund managed by the ministry. When this second batch is available, vaccination of all animals located within a 50-kilometer radius of the first case of lumpy skin disease detected on October 3 will be completed. "Protecting the animals closest to the outbreak is key to containing the disease and preventing it from spreading to other areas of Catalonia, given that the virus is highly contagious," explained Minister Òscar Ordeig.