‘People are now afraid to eat meat’: Indonesia cow farmers caught off guard as foot and mouth disease re-emerges
HOW IT SPREAD IN INDONESIA
Authorities have yet to identify the origin of the disease, but according to East Java Governor Khofifah Indra Parawansa, the first case this year was found in her province in Gresik on Apr 28.
It was then found in other East Java regencies such as Lamongan, Sidoardjo and Mojokerto, said Mdm Parawansa during a visit to a farm in Lamongan regency on May 8.
The second province to have reported the outbreak was the country’s westernmost province Aceh.
Farmer Abdurrahman Wahid in Kuala Simpang, Aceh, told CNA he noticed his cattle were sick on Apr 30.
“It was two days before Hari Raya. My cows were sick but I didn’t know what the disease was.
“They were constantly drooling but didn’t want to eat. They immediately lost weight and their bodies became thin. They then started limping and their hooves were blistering,” he added.
“I was frantic, I was anxious looking at the cows because all this time taking care of cattle, mine never got sick,” said Mr Wahid, who has been a farmer for 30 years.
All 25 of his cows were infected, and two died.
“The young ones died. The mothers were sick and had no milk, and the calves didn’t eat. Their mouths hurt, so two died.”
Cow trader Jubairi in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung province, said his cows started to display symptoms of FMD on Idul Fitri, but officials only had the chance to check on them a week later after the Hari Raya holiday was over.
“I was suspicious something wrong was going on because fellow traders in my neighbourhood had the same complaints.
“And those who bought my cows also complained later that the animals had fallen ill,” said Mr Jubairi who goes by one name.
Mr Jubairi procured the livestock from East Java.
About 150 of his cows contracted FMD, he said, and six died.
“Because they were not taken care of. Too many of them were sick, so they died,” he said.
Other than disinfecting the stalls every day, Mr Jubairi gave his cows vitamins and antibiotics, as prescribed by the livestock agency.
Most of them have recovered and only about 10 per cent were still sick, he added.
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