PMK Outbreak Goes Crazy, Bengkulu Provincial Government Asks Central Government To Provide Vaccines

Bengkulu Governor, Rohidin Mersyah/Photo: Antara

BENGKULU CITY - The Bengkulu Provincial Government has proposed to the Central Government for the procurement and provision of the Nail and Mouth Disease (PMK) vaccine, in order to avoid the spread of the epidemic.

Bengkulu Governor, Rohidin Mersyah in Bengkulu, Tuesday, June 21, said that his party had proposed an application for the provision of PMK vaccine for Bengkulu Province.

"A vaccine has been proposed, but we don't know when the vaccine will arrive in Bengkulu Province," said Rohidin, quoted by Antara.

The proposal was made because the distribution of imported PMK vaccine in the first stage of Bengkulu Province did not get a quota.

This is because the distribution of imported vaccines is focused on areas that were first infected with the spread of PMK.

These areas are East Java Province, Central Java Province, West Java Province, Aceh Province, Banten Province and areas with the most FMD cases in Indonesia.

The head of the Livestock and Animal Health Service, Syarkawi, said that domestically produced vaccines are still under research by the central government in order to produce the right type of vaccine for the virus in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, hundreds of cattle species have been infected with the Mouth and Nail Disease outbreak, but so far no animal that has died from the outbreak has been found.

However, other livestock that are in the same cage as the infected have shown symptoms of being infected with the FMD outbreak.

Currently, four regions in Bengkulu Province, namely Kepahiang Regency, Rejang Lebong Regency, North Bengkulu Regency and Seluma Regency have been infected with the FMD outbreak.

Areas that have been declared infected with FMD have been closed and animals in the village are prohibited from leaving the area.

Syarkawi asked the public not to panic and worry about the spread of the FMD because the disease does not attack or be dangerous to humans.

However, the public is only allowed to consume beef that is affected by FMD, while the mouth, tongue, nose, lower legs and innards are prohibited from being consumed.

"People accidentally consume the innards of cows that are infected with FMD, it doesn't cause things that are harmful to humans," he said.