Governor Viktor Issues Instructions For Prohibition Of Cattle Entry Into NTT

Illustration/Photo: Antara

NTT - East Nusa Tenggara Governor, Viktor B Laiskodat, issued an instruction numbered 01/Disnak/2022 which prohibits the entry of various livestock animals and their derivative products, such as meat, milk, cement, and leather, into the area.

The governor's instruction received in Kupang on Saturday, May 14 morning was addressed to all regional heads in NTT, as well as the head of the Quarantine Center, Kesyabandaran and Kupang Port Authority, the head of the airport authority in the NTT region, and the Head of the Ende Class II Agricultural Quarantine Station.

In the instruction, the Governor of NTT asked all regional heads and related parties to temporarily ban the entry of livestock and their products from infected areas, such as East Java, Aceh, and other areas in Indonesia that have been infected with FMD.

"Especially for regents/mayors, please increase awareness of any clinical signs in cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, and pigs that lead to FMD", he said.

He explained several signs that indicated that the livestock had been exposed to FMD, namely body temperature above 41 degrees Celcius, sores or blisters filled with clear fluid, such as thrush on the upper tongue.

Then there are also wounds on the inner lips and gums, drastically decreased appetite, hypersalivation, and injuries to the nails that cause the nails to fall off, causing limping and difficulty standing up.

He said that the surveillance process must involve officers from each animal health center to monitor and report results through the integrated national animal health system and submit reports.

Besides that, they also formed a task force for the prevention of the spread of mouth and nail disease (PMK) in their respective work areas by involving related parties who are tasked with routinely monitoring land and sea entrances in the NTT region.

Meanwhile, the Head of NTT Animal Quarantine, Yulius Umbu H, said that so far while waiting for the governor's instructions, quarantine officers and the livestock service were monitoring on the mainland of Timor Island.

"Last week we carried out monitoring on the mainland of Timor. We will coordinate inspections to malls again", he said.