Page 39 - Islands Business October 2022

Protecting the Pacific from Foot and Mouth Disease

Earlier this year, alarming reports came out of Indonesia considering how fast spreading and persistent the virus ap-
about an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). As of pears to be. It can be found in infected animals’ secretions and
2nd July, Indonesia recorded 313,636 infected cattle, with over mucus and even breathed out in an aerosolised form. Direct
2,700 deaths. [1] animal contact is the main FMD pathway, and it is commonly
spread through movement between farms. The virus hitchhikes
What is FMD? on materials used around infected animals, such as farming
FMD is a highly contagious disease that affects cloven-foot tools, equipment, clothing and footwear. It can also stubbornly
animals such as pigs, goats, cattle and sheep. FMD is endemic remain in animal meat, feed and livestock products.
in different parts of the world, including Asia, Africa and the
Middle East, and the disease is estimated to circulate in 77 How can FMD be prevented?
percent of the global livestock population. [2] Good hygiene is critical if there is anything the global pop-
“Even though FMD is not present in the Solomon Islands, ulation has learned in the last three years as the COVID-19
it poses one of the biggest threats to our cattle industry. The pandemic spread out to every corner of earth. This holds true
Solomon Islands cattle industry is tiny, and FMD is dangerous for FMD, particularly for anyone that has been around ani-
enough that if it ever gets in, within days it could spread across mals, near a farm or rural community. Those that have had
farms and diminish the cattle population,” says Rickson Wate, contact must wash their hands properly and thoroughly dis-
Director of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture Live- infect clothes and boots worn in these areas. Proper cleaning
stock Department. and maintenance of farm tools and equipment can also help
prevent FMD from spreading. In addition, travellers, especially
FMD and the livestock industry those that are around farm animals, are responsible for the
Livestock production and agriculture have long been the communities that they visit and should not bring in dangerous
backbone of Pacific livelihoods, fundamental for food security, diseases such as FMD. It is crucial that these travellers truth-
economy and culture. In addition, it is quite common to raise fully declare to biosecurity officials their proximity or contact
livestock in rural communities for family events such as funer- with animals or a farm.
als, weddings and different traditional occasions. Despite this,
livestock production is still a growing industry within the region, Response
and farmers still face barriers to accessing markets due to lack The Pacific Community (SPC) has launched an awareness
of resources and infrastructure. Recognising these challenges campaign to fight foot and mouth disease, urging farmers and
and the potential for livestock to play a growing role in liveli- related communities to help prevent FMD and increase their
hoods and economies, Pacific governments have shown in- knowledge in regard to its detection and treatment.
terest in developing the industry and reducing dependency on “There is ongoing work to strengthen biosecurity measures
imported meats. to protect against animal health diseases, and this SPC cam-
FMD compromises these efforts and could roll back livestock paign can help reinforce this work and build a collective sense
industry progress, in addition to fracturing food security. The of ownership to keep the Pacific FMD-free,” says SPC Animal
outbreak in Indonesia substantially increases the risk of FMD Health and Production Advisor Dr. Sripad Sosale
entering the region. While FMD is not a threat to human health, The campaign kicked off in the Solomon Islands in October
the impact on animals has severe consequences for the Pacific as the SPC team conducted animal disease surveillance work
livestock industry. on the livestock population. The work was part of the Safe Ag-
Animals infected with FMD become severely ill. Frequent ricultural Trade Facilitation through Economic Integration in the
symptoms are fever, depression, hypersalivation, loss of ap- Pacific (SAFE Pacific) project funded by the European Union
petite, weight loss, growth retardation and a drop in milk pro- and implemented by SPC’s Land Resources Division (LRD).
duction that can persist even after recovery.[2] According to SAFE Pacific aims to improve regional economic integration
the World Organisation for Animal Health, chronically affected through strengthened biosecurity, animal health and produc-
animals are reported to have an overall milk yield reduction of tion and sustainable agricultural value chains.
80 percent. A typical clinical sign is the occurrence of blisters The FMD campaign focuses on raising awareness among
on the nose, tongue or lips, inside the oral cavity, between toes, farmers and travellers on how FMD is spread, prevention meas-
above hooves, on teats and at pressure points on the skin.[2] ures, and clinical symptoms and reporting pathways. Farmers
Countries that are FMD-free have banned meat imports and and community members that suspect FMD are encouraged
animal products from affected areas to protect animal health to contact a local animal health officer or livestock department
and livestock. This significant disruption of production and and report it to the respective national biosecurity agency.
trade leads to losses of billions of dollars. For example, Indo- The FMD campaign also stresses the collective responsi-
nesia estimates a loss of USD 6.6 Billion per year due to the bility to protect the region. As a critical concern, FMD is one
disease1. of many animal disease threats that the Pacific must remain
vigilant against to sustain its rich biodiversity, culture and live-
How is FMD spread? lihoods.
For the disease to be of such wide concern is no surprise,

[1] Reliefweb. 2022. Indonesia Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak. [online] Available at: <https://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/indonesia-foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak-emergen-
cy-plan-action-epoa-dref-operation-ndeg-mdrid024#:~:text=Attachments&text=Indonesia%20has%20been%20struck%20by,and%20227%20districts%20or%20cities.> [Accessed 10
October 2022].
[2] WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health. 2022. Foot and mouth disease - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.woah.org/en/disease/
foot-and-mouth-disease/#:~:text=FMD%20is%20an%20WOAH%2Dlisted,OIE)%20established%20official%20status%20recognition.> [Accessed 10 October 2022].
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