"Usually, new health checks will be conducted before the cattle are slaughtered. However, now, the health of the cattle will be immediately examined as soon as they enter the slaughterhouse," Head of the Yogyakarta City Agriculture and Food Service Suyana stated in Yogyakarta, Saturday.
Cattle found with symptoms during the check will be considered to be FMD suspect cases and will be immediately quarantined.
"We have a quarantine cage at the Giwangan Slaughterhouse (RPH). Cattle (suspected to have the disease) will be immediately separated from other cattle to avoid wider transmission," Suyana explained.
He later remarked that FMD can occur in livestock, such as cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep. Animal diseases with high transmission rates are characterized by symptoms in the form of fever; excessive salivation and foaming in the mouth; sores around the mouth, gums, and skin; decreased appetite; and frail body.
Suyana noted that the livestock quarantined due to FMD can be slaughtered and the stomach, skin, and sickly body parts then removed or treated until healed and then slaughtered.
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The Yogyakarta City Agriculture and Food Service will also change the hours of slaughtering livestock at the slaughterhouse from early morning to late afternoon, so that the slaughtered animal meat can be withered before being sold to the market.
"Usually, once the cattle is slaughtered, the meat will be distributed directly to the market," Suyana remarked.
However, with withering the meat, the virus causing FMD can be killed during that process, he added.
"This disease can likely affect the economy of farmers since the exposed cows will certainly be sold at low prices," Suyana noted.
The Yogyakarta City Agriculture and Food Service has also disseminated information to farmers regarding the importance of keeping cages clean and maintaining animal health in order to avoid transmission of FMD in cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep.
In addition, Suyana is optimistic that traffic control of livestock shipments in border areas would be intensified and not solely be conducted on main roads.
Indonesia had been declared an FMD-free country for a long time, but recently, the disease had reappeared.
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Translator: Eka Arifa R, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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