"There are several hindrances to vaccination implementation; one of them is the vaccinators that are still insufficient," coordinator of the expert team of the FMD task force, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, said at an online press conference on the development of FMD handling, which was accessed from here on Tuesday.
In addition, vaccinations are being hindered by the difficulty in accessing some areas and maintaining the optimal temperature of the vaccines, he added.
"In this case, the government will continue to evaluate, coordinate, and improve performance so that the vaccination coverage is higher," he said.
Adisasmito further explained that FMD is a highly contagious disease and is caused by a virus. FMD can infect cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, pigs, buffaloes, goats, sheep, camels, and deer.
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Animals suspected of being infected with FMD show symptoms such as blisters or erosions on the mouth, tongue, gums, nostrils, nipples, and on the skin around the nails, he said.
FMD-infected animals tend to lie down more often, he added. Beef cattle commonly experience a decrease in body weight, while dairy cattle can experience a drastic fall in milk production.
"We need to ensure the application of proper and strict health protocols to prevent the spread of the FMD virus to other FMD susceptible animals," he highlighted.
The virus can transmit to susceptible animals through direct or indirect contact, he informed.
He said that transmission through direct contact occurs when healthy animals come into contact with infected animals.
Meanwhile, transmission through indirect contact occurs when humans accidentally carry the virus on their body, clothing, footwear, vehicles, or equipment that then come into contact with susceptible animals, he added.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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