We have issued a letter extending the closure of the animal markets until June 20, which was initially set to (end) on June 4, 2022Praya, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The Central Lombok district government, West Nusa Tenggara, has announced that it has extended the closure of local animal markets to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among livestock.
"We have issued a letter extending the closure of the animal markets until June 20, which was initially set to (end) on June 4, 2022," Head of the Central Lombok Agriculture and Livestock Office Lalu Taufikurahman said here on Tuesday.
The animal market closure has been extended since cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Central Lombok are still spreading. Thus, the measure has been taken to prevent further infections. The increase in FMD cases in Central Lombok has been quite high. Based on data, the disease has infected 4,700 heads of cattle, with 2,200 livestock making a recovery.
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"That's the total number of foot-and-mouth disease cases in a month—since they were discovered post-Eid until now. In just a week, there was an addition of 700 cases," he noted.
Apart from offering treatment, his administration is also constantly educating the public and promoting herbal treatment for infected animals to improve their condition.
"(Since) medications are lacking, thus we also do herbal treatment by giving brown sugar, turmeric, and tamarind water to cattle affected by foot-and-mouth disease," he informed.
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To anticipate the rampant spread of the outbreak, the regional government has made various efforts, such as administering vitamins and antibiotics as well as spraying disinfectants.
Additionally, the district government has closed all animal markets, started monitoring slaughterhouses, and limited the distribution of cattle.
"We have also put cages in complexes which have been infected by the FMD outbreak (to place livestock) in isolation. No livestock is permitted to be released or sold," Taufikurahman added.
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Translator: Akhyar R, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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