Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture appealed to regional governments to temporarily close livestock markets for 14 days if there is foot and mouth disease (FMD) case in livestock in their respective regions.The ministry's Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Agung Suganda in his statement here on Saturday stated that the ministry continues to remind that the increase in FMD cases in December 2024 must receive attention from regional governments.
The ministry suggested several anticipatory measures, namely first bolstering surveillance for the traffic of livestock, animal products, and disease-carrying media.
"Second, closing livestock markets for 14 days if there is an FMD case in the location. This measure must be accompanied by market cleaning and disinfectant spraying," he said.
Furthermore, the third step is maximizing the role of farmers and the private sector in controlling the disease in the regions.
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Suganda also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the central government and regions in handling threats from diseases.
The ministry also highlighted the importance of reporting FMD cases or other diseases through the national animal health information system.
Farmers are urged to immediately report suspected cases through the platform to speed up the handling.
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"Through the report, the animal health team can immediately carry out investigation and treatment for the sick livestock," he remarked.
The other step recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture is carrying out vaccination with a risk-based approach.
In addition, farmers are also asked to actively report suspected FMD cases through the hotline provided by the government, +62-811-1182-7889.
Earlier on December 28, 2024, the ministry issued a letter appealing to provincial, district, and city governments to take concrete steps to curb the risk of FMD transmissions.
The Ministry of Agriculture is appealing to regional governments to increase alertness against strategic infectious diseases, including FMD.
According to him, the increase in FMD cases that occurred in the third and fourth weeks of December 2024 was caused by extreme weather.
