Indonesia (03): livestock, spread, vaccination

Date: Tue 7 Jan 2025
Source: Universitas Gadjah Mada [abridged, edited]
https://ugm.ac.id/en/news/surge-in-fmd-cases-ugm-expert-urges-comprehensive-vaccination/


The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has resurfaced in Indonesia. This disease, which affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, buffaloes, and sheep, has seen a surge in cases since early December 2024. To date, a total of 8483 FMD cases have been reported, with 223 fatalities and 73 forced slaughters. These cases are spread across 9 provinces, including Central Java and East Java.

Professor Aris Haryanto from UGM's [Universitas Gadjah Mada] Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH UGM) suggested that the surge in FMD cases could be attributed to the vaccination process not being comprehensive or carried out regularly.

"This is the 2ndwave of FMD; vaccination was previously done, and farmers are now well informed. However, because the cases subsided, the vaccination rates have also declined," he explained on Monday [6 Jan 2025].

FMD, also known as apthae epizootica (AE), aphthous fever, and foot-and-mouth disease, is caused by an RNA virus from the _Aphthovirus_ genus, which belongs to the Picornaviridae family. Although the virus has various serotypes, namely O, A, C, Southern African Territories (SAT-1, SAT-2, and SAT-3), and Asia-1, the cases in Indonesia are believed to be of the O serotype.

According to Professor Haryanto, the virus spreads rapidly and is highly contagious among livestock, either through direct contact, indirect means, or airborne transmission. The virus's airborne nature distinguishes it from other viruses.

"This virus can spread directly through the air. If animals are placed side by side, the likelihood of transmission is high. There have even been cases where transmission occurred up to 200 km [124 mi] away," Professor Haryanto elaborated.

Regarding the rapid spread of FMD in recent years, the professor explained that it began with the 1st case in Indonesia being discovered in East Java and Aceh. The 2nd wave of the FMD outbreak has also emerged in these areas. Although the government continues to promote the development of FMD vaccines by creating vaccines tailored to the virus type detected in national cases, domestic vaccine production has not yet met the vaccination needs for ruminant livestock susceptible to FMD.

"Vaccination must be carried out at least twice. The interval between the 1st and 2nd vaccines is one month. After that, vaccinations must still be administered every 6 months," Professor Haryanto explained.

Farmers are expected to implement good biosecurity measures in the barn area during the mitigation process by strictly controlling access to and from infected animals. The FMD virus incubation period can last 2 to 5 days for short-term cases, while long-term cases range from 10 to 14 days. Factors that influence the incubation period include the virus type and the livestock management.

The government, the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (PDHI), and several experts continue to collaborate to ensure that FMD cases are well reported and handled. He said that FKH UGM also contributes to addressing FMD cases in the Yogyakarta and Central Java regions through PDHI and by deploying students directly to the field.

[Byline: Salma]

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