Beware Of Mouth And Nail Diseases In Livestock, Garut Regency Government Forms Task Force

Checking cattle on a farm in Garut, West Java. (AntaraHO-Diskominfo Garut)

GARUT - The Government of Garut Regency formed a Task Force Team (Satgas) for mouth and nail disease (PMK) in livestock. His job is to overcome and control the outbreak so as not to cause great losses.

"We formed a 'crisis center' and a task force, which we hope will be able to control this disease," said Garut Deputy Regent Helmi Budiman in Garut, Tuesday 17 May.

He said the Garut Regency Government had been taking anticipatory steps by lowering the animal health team from the Garut Regency Fisheries, Livestock and Marine Service by examining all cattle and sheep.

Furthermore, he said, the Garut Regency Government formed a special team or task force by involving elements from the police in charge of directly handling the spread, control, and treatment of livestock affected by the FMD outbreak.

"This task force is from the regional government, there is also the police," he said, as reported by Antara.

He conveyed, based on reports in the field there were 517 cows that had been infected with the FMD outbreak for the past few days with drooling mouth conditions and blistered nails.

The task force team, he said, had been dispatched to continuously monitor the development of livestock that were already showing symptoms of infection so that they would not spread to other animals.

"We send veterinarians who can sort out what are safe for the community and which are not," he added.

He conveyed that the FMD outbreak that attacked farm animals could be cured by giving medicine, vitamins, and cleaning the cage so that they are not susceptible to bacteria or viruses that can cause sick animals.

In addition, he continued, livestock infected with the epidemic will not be transmitted to humans, as well as the meat from these animals is safe for consumption.

"It is also to the public that this FMD is a type of virus that does not attack humans, if it is cooked (the meat) it will not become a disease," he said.