South Korea's agriculture ministry said Tuesday 12 suspected cases of lumpy skin disease in cattle have been under investigation, as health authorities were scrambling to prevent the disease from spreading.

Since the first-ever outbreak of the disease last Friday, South Korea has reported a total of 17 confirmed cases so far.

Health authorities have begun vaccinating cattle in the affected areas.

Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun has said the disease may further spread for the time being, because it takes some three weeks for vaccinated cattle to produce antibodies against the disease.

The disease, which does not affect humans, is a highly infectious disease that causes skin lesions, fever and loss of appetite, often leading to a fall in milk production and even death. It affects cattle and buffalo via mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects. (Yonhap)