Sweeping anthrax inoculate planned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The West Java administration will distribute
\n130,000 free vaccines to livestock owners in Hambalang
\nsubdistrict, Citeureup district in Bogor, where an outbreak of
\nanthrax has been detected.<\/p>\n
The head of the West Java animal health office, Musny
\nSuatmodjo, told Antara on Wednesday the directorate general of
\nhusbandry had ordered 60,000 vaccines from a factory in Surabaya,
\nthe capital of East Java, to supplement the office's stock of
\n70,000 vaccines.<\/p>\n
Musny said his office deployed on Wednesday veterinarians to
\nthe subdistrict and its surrounding areas to give the
\nvaccinations.<\/p>\n
The office has targeted more than 22,000 goats and cattle
\nacross Citeureup district for the vaccinations. The free
\nvaccinations also are planned for areas within a 10-kilometer
\nradius around the district.<\/p>\n
Further vaccinations are planned in the next six months, Musny
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
If there are left-over vaccines, the provincial administration
\nwill give them to other areas prone to anthrax, including
\nPurwakarta, Subang, Karawang and Bekasi.<\/p>\n
Some 20 Hambalang residents were found to be infected with
\nanthrax last month, with two of them dying.<\/p>\n
The disease is caused by Bacilius anthracis, a spore-forming
\nbacterium which can survive for 100 years in the ground and can
\nonly be destroyed through incineration. Livestock usually die
\nabout five days after being infected.<\/p>\n
Musny said Bogor regency has recorded nine anthrax outbreaks
\nsince 1965. The outbreaks took place in 1968, 1971, 1974, 1979,
\n1982, 1985 and 1986.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration has warned of the spread of the
\ndisease, but no vaccinations have been ordered for livestock in
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, vendors selling goat meat and beef in Bogor
\nmayoralty have complained about a plunge in sales following
\nreports of the anthrax outbreak. At least five beef sellers in a
\ntraditional market in Bogor have closed their businesses for the
\ntime being.<\/p>\n
One of the traders, M. Yusup, said the some 50 butchers in the
\nmarket could each sell up to three heads of cattle or three goats
\nper day before the disease made the headlines.<\/p>\n
\"Now I think I'm lucky to be able to sell one head of cattle a
\nday,\" Yusup, 40, said.<\/p>\n
Rudi Darma, 27, said he was only selling up to 20 kilograms of
\nbeef now, down from 30 kilograms just weeks ago.<\/p>\n
The traders said they were suffering losses because of their
\nunsold beef and goat meat, which cannot be consumed after three
\ndays.<\/p>\n
An employee at the city-owned slaughterhouse in Pejagalan,
\nSusanta, said the demand for livestock had been on the decline
\nover the past few weeks.<\/p>\n
\"Each employee has slaughtered an average of two heads of
\ncattle a day for the past few weeks, down from five,\" he said.
\n(21\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sweeping-anthrax-inoculate-planned-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}