Jakarta (ANTARA) - At least 707,580 heads of cattle have been vaccinated against FMD in Indonesia as of Wednesday, the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Handling Task Force reported.

According to the task force data accessed here on Wednesday, FMD has spread to farm animals in 268 districts and cities in 22 provinces, and the majority of infected animals are cattle.

As of Wednesday, a total of 430,171 farm animals have been infected with the disease. Of the number, 220,519 farm animals have recovered, 199,188 are still sick, 3,952 are dead, and 6,512 have been conditionally slaughtered.

The 430,171 infected animals comprise 414,169 heads of cattle, 11,314 buffaloes, 1,569 sheep, 3,072 goats, and 47 pigs.

Meanwhile, the 220,519 recovered farm animals comprise 212,086 heads of cattle, 5,792 buffaloes, 949 sheep, 1,676 goats, and 16 pigs.

Farm animals that are currently still sick include 191,809 head of cattle, 5,414 buffaloes, 605 sheep, 1,329 goats, and 31 pigs.

Then, the 3,952 dead animals comprise 3,869 heads of cattle, 64 buffaloes, 11 goats, and 8 sheep.

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To check FMD transmission, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a vaccination program for livestock from Sidoarjo district, East Java, on June 14, 2022.

Vaccine doses are being prioritized for healthy animals that are at high risk of infection, such as animals at livestock breeding centers, community-owned dairy farms, dairy cooperatives, and beef cattle farms.

Earlier, coordinator of the expert team of the FMD Handling Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, had said that the spread of FMD can be curbed by implementing strict and thorough biosecurity.

Cattle farming areas and equipment need to be disinfected regularly, he stressed.

"In addition, restrictions must be applied, so that not just anyone can enter the areas that are prone to FMD (transmission)," he said at an online press conference, accessed from here on Tuesday.

The community can disinfect contaminated cattle cages and farming equipment by utilizing easy-to-find and cheap materials, such as citric acid and boric acid, Adisasmito added.

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Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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