Bombana Agriculture Service Sultra Says 428 Cows Died Due To Jembrana Virus

Officers evacuated the carcass of a cow that was thought to have died from the Jembrana virus. (ANTARA/HO-Dinas Agriculture Bombana)

BOMBANA - Bombana Regency Agriculture Service said that as many as 428 cows in Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province (Sultra) were killed which was suspected to have been caused by the Jembrana virus.

Head of the Agriculture Service of Bombana Sarif Regency said that 428 cattle belonging to the dead residents were spread over four sub-districts.

"It is spread across four sub-districts, namely Rarowatu, North Rarowatu, Lantari Jaya, and Rumbia sub-districts," said Sarif when contacted in Kendari, Antara, Thursday, October 10.

He said that based on information from the community who owned the livestock, their cows suddenly died, which they suspect was due to the Jembrana virus.

"According to laboratory results, it was also identified that it was (caused by) the Jembrana virus," he said.

Sarif revealed that in handling the case, his party had responded quickly by deploying officers to evacuate the carcasses of dead and direct cattle.

"The steps we took from the Agriculture Service, the first to provide vaccines, vitamins, anti-biotics, and heat reductions to residents' cows who have not been infected with the virus, as well as disinfectants of cages," said Sarif.

Meanwhile, from the Provincial Government (Pemprov) of Southeast Sulawesi through the Department of Food Crops and Livestock or Distanak has also taken quick steps to deal with the Jembrana virus in the Bumi Anoa region by distributing as many as 15 thousand doses of Jembrana vaccine to Balinese cattle in the Southeast Sulawesi region.

Head of Distanak of Southeast Sulawesi Province La Ode Muhammad Rusdin Jaya said that based on observations in the field, his party had found Jembrana cases that had spread to several areas in Southeast Sulawesi Province.

Rusdin revealed that to anticipate the spread of livestock diseases, his party had coordinated with district/city offices throughout Southeast Sulawesi to distribute Jembrana vaccines to cattle belonging to the community indicated to be exposed to Jembrana.

"We have coordinated with the health of districts and cities regarding the support for the provision of Jembrana vaccine," said Rusdin Jaya.

It is known, Jembrana disease only attacks Balinese cattle (not infectious in other types of cows) and is not zonatic. The disease also cannot be transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa.

The disease caused by retrovirus in the Balinese cow was characterized by high fever, inflammation of the mucus membrane, enlargement of the defense gland, and snatching (diare) mixed with blood, to the death of livestock.