Lt. Gen. Suharyanto: It Will Take Time to Eliminate Foot and Mouth Disease
Although there were no new cases added in eight provinces, there were still 124,000 cases of foot and mouth disease in resident livestock.
Head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Lieutenant General Suharyanto.
New cases of foot and mouth disease have declined significantly over the last two months. When will this epidemic be over?
Kompas interviewed National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, who also heads the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMd) Handling Task Force, on Monday (29/8/2022).
Can it be projected when the current FMD outbreak will end?
The data as of 21 April showed the number of provinces with reported cases increased from two to 19 provinces, the number of regencies/cities surged from 5 to 90. Then on 6 July, the [disease] spread to 22 provinces and 273 regencies/cities. As of 28 Aug., the number of affected areas decreased to 16 provinces and 190 regencies/cities. This means [an overall] decline in cases.
Eight provinces have not recorded any new cases in the last 14 days, namely Jakarta, Bali, Riau Islands, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and West Sulawesi.
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We are now dealing with 124,701 cases of infected livestock from 535,296 cases previously. This means that with the presence of the FMD Handling Task Force, we have handled 60 percent of all cases in Indonesia.
There are still four months left in 2022, we will work hard. We hope that the number of FMD cases this year will drop drastically. We hope that the provinces with a number of positive cases will soon see the number of cases decrease. If selective culling can be carried out, the number of provinces with zero new cases will grow.
What is the strategy?
This is the strategy of the task force and the Ministry of Agriculture to handle the number of cases: Compensation for selective culling is given in breeding areas where the number of cases is still low, for example, around one to 20 cases. For areas like East Java, which has 71,000 active cases, there is no option but to treat the livestock.
Selective culling is the final option. To receive compensation for selective culling, the Agriculture Ministry is coordinating the criteria for [compensation]. The requirements are [to submit] a photocopy of the farmer's ID card, proof of FMD cases reported to the iSIKHNAS [website], livestock ownership certificate from the village head, and a certificate from a veterinarian or [animal health] official.
The main strategy is biosecurity, preventing transmission.
This program is now running in Bali. There, 340 heads of livestock that have been slaughtered have been submitted [for compensation], and 273 have already received compensation. Remember, the requirements for the compensation have just been issued. For cattle and buffalo, the compensation is Rp 10 million per head, regardless of their type and weight. Goats and sheep are Rp 1.5 million [per animal] and Rp 2 million for pigs.
The main strategy is biosecurity, preventing transmission. This is because this virus is highly contagious. It can be spread through the air, it can be spread through [objects], not just between livestock. People and things can become a vector of transmission, too. Village borders and entrances must be tightened.
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The condition of cows recovering from foot and mouth disease (FMd) in Nagari Ketaping, Batang Anai District, Padang Pariaman Regency, Thursday (21/7/2022).
Second, sick livestock are treated. There is no specific drug yet, but the animal's immunity can be increased, fortified with vitamins and antibiotics. Maybe in our villages we have local wisdom. They can give local medicines, too. Third, healthy livestock are vaccinated. This is the way. And the fourth strategy is to keep the caseload under control. This can be done through selective culling.
Regarding biosecurity, Kompas has found that many farm animals are still distributed through illegal channels. Is the BNPB also involved with increase security at illegal entry points for prevention of future FMD outbreaks?
The caseload now is only a third of the original figure, but transmission is still occurring. There are still leaks that need to be followed up. For example in Sumbawa, safe distribution was compromised. After we investigated, the breach occurred in East Java, entered Bali, and then enter Sumbawa.
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We are working to prevent East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) from collapsing. We hope that NTT will become a green [infection-free] zone without vaccination. Biosecurity is indeed our job. We continue to rely on the regional task forces, which are being assisted by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police. Hence, the deputies of the regional task force are the dandim [local military chief] and the local police chief. They can assign their personnel at illegal points of entry.
Although there have been no more new cases in eight provinces, we continue to be vigilant. As mentioned earlier, we can record the recovery of farm animals based on clinical signs. We have not been able to confirm whether the virus is no longer present among farm animals. We are still worried. Thus, it takes 14-30 days to know if the livestock have recovered.
Of course, in the provinces where there are no new cases, testing will still be carried out on livestock. We want to make sure that the virus is no longer in the area. It is our hope that it can be brought under control. Even if it can't [reach] zero cases, at least the figures will be smaller.
Indonesia used to be free from FMD, is it still possible to achieve that status again?
That is our hope. In 1986, Indonesia was free from FMD. It was only recognized by the World Animal Health Organization in 1990. This means that once it has reached this state, it will take time to gain FMD-free recognition. Our job is to work optimally. Hopefully, by the end of 2022, it will have declined significantly. In 2023, we hope to have zero FMD cases.
This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.
