6 Out Of 10 Cows Exposed To FMD In Belitung Are Recovered

Illustration of anticipating the spread of mouth and nail disease (FMD) in cattle. (Between)

BABEL - The Food and Agriculture Security Service (DKPP) reported that as many as six out of 10 cows in Belitung Regency that were exposed to mouth and nail disease (FMD) were declared cured.

"Six cows were declared cured of mouth and hoof disease after undergoing intensive treatment and quarantine," said Head of the Belitung DKPP, Destika Efenly in Tanjung Pandan, Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands (Babel), quoted by Antara, Monday 30 May.

According to him, the recovery period for confirmed oral and nail diseases varies from five days to two weeks.

"It will take five days at the earliest. The cows that are positive for PMK will be treated in separate cages from other livestock, given medicines and vitamins," he said.

He said the number of PMK cases in my area was found in 10 cows, consisting of six cured cows and three other cows conditionally slaughtered.

"So the number of cows that are undergoing treatment for mouth and hoof disease remains as much as one cow," he said.

He added that in the last few days there were no additional cases of FMD in livestock in the area.

He said the number of cases of livestock deaths due to the mouth and nail disease outbreak in the area was currently nil or non-existent. "We hope that there will be no more new cases and we will soon be free from this outbreak," he said.

According to Destika, his party has formed a Task Force for handling PMK in the area by involving a number of related agencies.

In addition, he continued, in order to anticipate the spread of PMK, every farm animal that enters the area must be equipped with an Animal Health Certificate (SKKH) to anticipate the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Delivery of livestock to the Belitung Regency area must also be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the Department of Agriculture and Food Security of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province for inter-province.

Then a letter of recommendation from the Belitung DKPP for inter-regencies/cities in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province. "The livestock must also be quarantined for 14 days before they are released or distributed to their owners," he said.

He appealed to the people in the area not to panic when the FMD outbreak was found because it was not transmitted from animals to humans. "Farm meat that has been confirmed by PMK is still safe for consumption, so we ask people not to panic," he said.