Working Extra Hard to Battle FMD Outbreak
Mantri continue to work hard in dealing with the FMD outbreak, because the number of cases has not yet decreased significantly.
Topan Nugroho (40), a veterinary worker, is giving treatment to cows in Kesamben Kulon Village, Wringin Anom District, Gresik Regency, East Java, Thursday (16/6/2022).
It was 6 o’clock in the evening, but Topan Nugroho (40) was still busy, checking a sick cow in Kesamben Kulon village of Wringinanom district, Gresik, East Java. Tending to sick livestock until late at night has become routine for him since the emergence of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) in April 2022.
His mobile phone kept ringing as Topan checked the cattle. In one day, he had visited up to 50 livestock facilities in the three subdistricts of Wringinanom, Driyorejo, and Kedamean.
"It looks like it will be overtime today. A number of residents have called me to check their cows," Topan, who works at the Technical Implementation Unit of the Balongpanggang animal health center (Puskeswan), said on Thursday (16/6/2022).
Topan once checked a cow at 1 a.m. because some residents suddenly called to ask for his help. He had to travel dozens of kilometers by motorbike to reach the village. "I could not even be with my family during Idul Fitri, when FMD cases began to increase," he said.
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Topan painstakingly attends to the cattle because he believes that livestock infected with FMD can still be cured. He injects the animals with vitamins and antibiotics to boost their immunity.
"In addition, the condition of their pens must be clean and not damp, so their feet are not infected," he said.
Apart from treating the animals, he also calms down people worried about the condition of their animals and being able to sell them quickly. “For example, the price of a cow is normally Rp 18 million (US$1,240), but then the middleman asks for just Rp 12 million, which is very cheap. It's a pity for the farmers, even though the cows can still recover and the farmers will not lose anything," he said.
Supposed to be profitable
Kristianto (42), a mantri (veterinary worker) in Jombang regency, East Java, has a different story. People are often under the mistaken impression that he had made a big profit during the FMD outbreak. When Kristianto was checking cattle in Pucang Simo village, Bandarkedungmulyo district, a resident passed by him and greeted him with a laugh.
"It’s a harvest time, sir. You must [be making] a lot of money," said the resident. Kristianto only smiled faintly in responding to the greeting. He often felt sad that many people thought he was taking advantage of the FMD outbreak to make a big profit by requesting payment for his services.
“Indeed, the office has instructed [us] not to ask for payment during office hours. The problem is, the stock of medicine when on duty is only enough for 15 cows, while the number of cattle that must be treated can be three times as large. That's why I took the initiative to buy my own medicine and asked for some money to cover the cost of the medicine," he said.
Kristianto, a veterinary worker in Jombang, East Java, took a sample of cow saliva, Tuesday (21/6/2022). This sampling was carried out to track the oral and nail disease virus in these animals.
During the current FMD outbreak, Kristianto has treated around 5,000 cows, even though the medicines his office provided were far from enough to cover such a number of animals.
The prices of veterinary drugs also soared during the FMD outbreak. The price of drugs such as analgesics increased from Rp 43,000 to Rp 70,000. In addition, the price of antibiotics also increased from Rp 95,000 to Rp 115,000. “At the end of May, there was a time when a member of DPR [House of Representatives] Commission IV visited this village. He said that there should be no charge for treating cows affected by FMD. I immediately burst into tears and said that there was not enough stock of medicines,” he said.
Bathing in cold temperatures
In Central Java, dozens of mantri from the Wonosobo Food, Agriculture and Livestock Service Office had to brave the cold weather while battling the FMD outbreak. Syam Arshi (43), for example, woke up early every day to go to the field.
“The Wonosobo area, especially Dieng, has been very cold over the last few months. At the very least, we have to bathe five times a day in cold temperatures of 11-16 degrees Celsius while on duty,” he said when Kompas met him at Garung Animal Market in Wonosobo.
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Syam explained that this procedure must be followed when moving from pen to pen. The FMD virus spreads extremely fast, as humans can carry the virus on their person if they do not maintain their hygiene.
“So, after checking the cows at a pen with infected animals, we have to go home to bathe first. After that, we can go on to spray disinfectant at another pen where the livestock have not been infected with FMD,” he said.
Syam’s assigned area covers three subdistricts. Every day, he must also monitor the livestock traded at the Wonosobo animal market. “We have been in the field since the morning. The first objective is to monitor animal markets that have already opened. We inspect every animal that is for sale. If there are any symptoms, they may not enter the market. After that, we just inspect livestock pens until late at night," he said.
An official from the Wonosobo animal husbandry and health service inspects a sheep at the Garung animal market, Wonosobo district, Central Java, Wednesday (15/4/2022).
Syam often meets farmers who have sold sick cows at the market. They want to sell the animals before they die, but at a sharp drop in the selling price.
“There are some breeders whose cows are symptomatic but insist on selling their cows at the animal market. We have to be firm and explain that sick cows cannot be sold in the animal market to prevent the disease from spreading," he said.
Because he has been so busy, Syam's health deteriorated due to fatigue. He took time off to rest for around two months. "I had a fever from catching a cold several times, because I often have to bathe at night," he said.
Quarantine
Yeni Kurniawati, a veterinarian at the Ngemplak Health Center in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, has her own method of stopping the spread of FMD. She imposed a lockdown on livestock facilities whose animals had not been infected with the virus.
"There are several facilities in Ngemplak district whose cows are still healthy and have not contracted FMD because they immediately imposed a lockdown when the virus began to spread in May," he said.
No one aside from the owner is allowed to enter a facility that is under lockdown. In addition, the facility is sprayed regularly with disinfectant to keep it sterile.
“Usually, cattle buyers, such as middlemen, visit one facility to another. We told farmers about the procedure, that no outsider can enter a pen so the existing cows can stay healthy,” she said.
Blessed be God, since the FMD outbreak, no cows have been [imported] from other regions and we can focus on treating the sick cows and keeping the healthy cows from getting infected.
Yeni also visits every village regularly to monitor the livestock traffic, so that cows from other areas do not enter Ngemplak district. She constantly asks farmers not to buy any cows during the FMD outbreak.
"Blessed be God, since the FMD outbreak, no cows have been [imported] from other regions and we can focus on treating the sick cows and keeping the healthy cows from getting infected," she said.
Mantri continue to work hard in dealing with the FMD outbreak, because the number of cases has not yet decreased significantly.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
