Free anthrax vaccines for Jakarta livestock

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has begun free vaccination for all livestock in the capital, except for those on sale for the Idul Adha Islamic Day of Sacrifice, an official said on Thursday.

Hery Indiyanto, head of the Animal Disease Prevention and Eradication Unit at the City Animal Husbandry Agency, said the vaccination program has been ongoing in all five mayoralties in Jakarta since Feb. 26, and is aimed at protecting the animals from the disease.

"Vaccinated cattle or goats cannot be consumed because their blood contains the anthrax bacteria, which is introduced by the vaccine, for a period of 14 days," said Hery.

"That's why we didn't vaccinate the animals to be slaughtered on the holiday."

Idul Adha falls on Monday. The holiday will be marked by Muslims slaughtering cattle and goats, with the beef and meat later being distributed to the needy.

Hery said the agency had provided 3,000 doses of vaccine, as well as preparing an additional 2,000 doses for emergencies.

He admitted that he had no data on the number of livestock being reared within the capital's boundaries.

"But I think the vaccines will be enough for now," he said.

He added that provision had been made in the 2001 City Budget for the entire stock of the vaccine, which costs Rp 40,000 per bottle.

Each bottle contains 250 doses, with one dose being injected per beast.

The City Animal Husbandry Agency had reported earlier that the it had prepared 45,000 goats and 3,000 cattle to meet the city's demand on Idul Adha.

Hery admitted that this year's livestock sales in the capital for Idul Adha had declined following reports of an anthrax outbreak.

He gave as an example a butcher in Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta, who was only managing to sell one cow per day, down from three before the disease made the headlines.

He confirmed that, so far, all cows, goats, sheep and oxen on the market in the capital were free from contagious diseases, including anthrax.

"All the beasts on sale have been given health certificates issued by the City Animal Husbandry Agency, claimed Hery.

None of livestock being sold in the capital came from Bogor, where the anthrax outbreak was reported late in January, he said.

"They were mostly brought in from Pemalang and Tegal, both in Central Java," he added.

Over 20 residents of Hambalang village, Citeureup district in Bogor were found to be infected with anthrax in January, with two of them eventually dying. Local health officials claimed not to have discovered anthrax symptoms in any of the livestock they examined following the outbreak.

The disease is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacterium which can survive for 100 years in the ground and can only be destroyed through incineration. Livestock usually die about five days after being infected.

Bogor regency has recorded nine anthrax outbreaks since 1965, including outbreaks in 1968, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1986. (04)