INDONESIA – Indonesian government is making plans to get the Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak under control by the end of this year.
Indonesia’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease Task Force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito has told international media that the country has the ability to contain the outbreak.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a serious, highly contagious viral disease that affects animals and is very expensive to treat. Ruminants with cloven hooves are all affected by the disease.
It is a transboundary animal disease (TAD) that has a significant impact on livestock output and interferes with both domestic and global traffic in animals and animal products.
According to The Red Cross, 30 million immunizations are required, but only 3 million vaccines have been obtained so far and another 1 million are anticipated to arrive in Indonesia from Australia soon.
The disease has been spreading significantly since the first case was reported in Indonesia at the beginning of May; as of 4 August, there have been about 459,000 cases found.
It has spread to 23 of Indonesia’s 37 provinces, including Bali, a hotspot for Australian tourists.
In the month of June, the Indonesian government began a widespread vaccination campaign.
It has also started a campaign to inform farmers about the dangers of FMD and restricted the movement of cattle with the aid of the police and the army.
A number of diseased animals have also been put to death to stop the spread of the disease.
According to The Red Cross, 30 million immunizations are required, but only 3 million vaccines have been obtained so far and another 1 million are anticipated to arrive in Indonesia from Australia soon.
The domestic manufacture of vaccinations is being planned by the Indonesian government, and it is anticipated to begin by the end of August.
The Indonesian government has allocated a budget to procure 29 million doses by the end of the year.
Australia has announced it would provide Indonesia with one million doses of FMD vaccine as part of $1.5 million in assistance measures.
“We hope by the end of this year, we can control the situation by having the number of cases reported reduced from time to time,” Wiku Adisasmito
Wiku also added that the country is also stepping up biosecurity measures such as sanitation foot mats and disinfectant sprayers at several airports, to ensure international and domestic travelers can prevent the virus from spreading.
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