PMK Positive Livestock Cases Found In 3 Regions In South Sumatra

PALEMBANG - The Provincial Government of South Sumatra (Sumel) reported positive cases of livestock infected with mouth and nail disease (PMK) which had been found to be spreading in three areas.

Head of the South Sumatra Food and Livestock Security Service, Ruzuan Effendi, said the three areas were Lubuk Linggau City, Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, and Musi Rawas.

According to him, from the three regions so far there have been as many as seven cows that have been confirmed positive for PMK.

The case was discovered after getting the results of an examination from the Laboratory of the Lampung Veterinary Center in the working area of Southern Sumatra some time ago.

"As a result, seven of the eight samples of cattle sent to the laboratory tested positive, namely five from Lubuk Linggau, two from Musi Rawas and one from Ogan Komering Ilir," said Ruzuan Effendi after a coordination meeting on Control and Prevention of PMK. .

To prevent PMK from continuing to spread, he said, the provincial government has instructed all Agriculture, Livestock and other relevant agencies in 17 regencies/cities to tighten access in and out of transportation for livestock, animal products and high-risk disease carriers.

The instruction is contained in a Circular on Increasing PMK Awareness which has been socialized since Monday (9/5).

"We have asked the Ministry of Agriculture for a vaccine to anticipate its spread, although not all of them will be vaccinated, at least we can minimize the spread," he said, while South Sumatra is still in the yellow status or the category of low spread of the FMD outbreak.

Meanwhile, Head of the Lampung Veterinary Laboratory for the Sumbagsel region, Hasan Sanyata, said that farmers do not need to worry too much if they find sick livestock because it is not necessarily an exposure to FMD.

"Because to declare illness (PMK) must be tested first, if it is just another disease, the symptoms are almost the same," he said, even though his party has provided as many as 17 units of livestock sampling tubes for the distribution area of 17 regencies/cities. in South Sumatra as one of the control efforts.

"Relevant agencies in the distribution area can move quickly if sick cattle are found with clinical symptoms (hanging saliva, blisters on the mouth and feet) for sample examination, the results are out in a day," he added.

Based on medical medical studies, he admitted that so far the FMD outbreak in livestock has not infect humans, so people are advised not to worry.