Government sticks strictly to preventative measures on FMD
By Mangku Sitepoe
JAKARTA (JP): Among countries worldwide, only Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia are free from foot and mouth (FMD) disease.
Indonesia is trying its hardest to remain free from this contagious disease. When a place is said to be FMD-free, it means that it is free from the agent of the disease, or the FMD virus.
In this context, an act of countering and preventing the incidence of FMD means preventing the entry of the FMD virus into Indonesia. It certainly does not mean preventing entry of dead FMD virus.
After first becoming an epidemic in England in February, 2001, FMD spread to neighboring countries, including Ireland, France and Holland.
In terms of pathological epidemiology, the whole of Europe was then put in the category of countries infected with the FMD virus due to the virtually borderless nature countries on this continent.
Then, on March 13, 2001, Argentina also reported an FMD case, which quickly spread far and wide, resulting in all of Latin America also being listed among the countries infected by the FMD virus because of the virtually borderless nature of countries in this part of the American continent.
Indonesia imports agricultural and livestock products from these two continents. It also imports these commodities from Asia and Africa, where FMD is endemic.
As Indonesia is a member of the Office of International Epizooties (OIE), reports on the incidence of FMD have come from this organization. OIE also stipulates the minimum program that a member country has to implement in countering and preventing the outbreak of an animal disease and leaves detailed implementation to the member country.
On the basis of the decision of OIE and as preparation against the spread of the FMD contagion to Indonesia, the Minister of Agricultural has issued a circular, No TN.510/94/A/IV/2001 dated April 20, 2001, on measures to counter and prevent the entry of FMD. The circular also seeks to prevent entry of the FMD pathological agent or virus to Indonesia.
The FMD virus that spread as of Feb. 21, 2001, was of the Pan Asian strain usually encountered on continental Asia. It's no surprise, therefore, that Britain has suspected that the FMD virus originated from continental Asia.
Epidemiologically, in relation to the spread of the FMD virus, countries are distinguished into: those where FMD is epidemic, those infected by the FMD virus and those which are FMD-free.
In the case of countries where FMD is epidemic, the circular of the agricultural minister slaps a total ban on the import of the following commodities:
* animals, materials originating in animals, the products of animals and their by-products, including: fresh skins and products resulting from its processing, fresh milk and the output of its processing, fresh meat and the output of its processing, and so forth.
* raw materials for animal feed, including: materials for animal feed originating in animals, except fish powder; feed made from grain plants, for example corn and legumes, as the raw material; fresh or processed green feed; and prepared feed for all kinds of animals.
* instruments, machinery and medicines which include: agricultural instruments and machinery, such as second-hand machines used to make cattle feed; medicines, both for human beings and for animals, made from part of the body of a cloven- hoofed animal.
In the case of countries infected by the FMD virus, the circular of the agricultural minister stipulates a temporary ban followed by an assortment of other provisions.
FMD is categorized as a zoonotic disease with a very low morbidity level. A human being will have very mild symptoms of the disease, usually oral ulceration akin to a deficiency of Vitamin C.
In animals, the virus will attack only those which are cloven- hoofed. Although the onslaught of FMD on animals will leave a high morbidity level and a low mortality rate, it will have enormous economic impacts on a country.
Once a country becomes FMD-infected it will find it difficult to market its livestock and agricultural products within the framework of the OIE provisions.
International reactions
Import of hide -- From a country where FMD is epidemic: imported hide, fresh or tanned, will be in the category of hide originating from animals afflicted with FMD and allowing the FMD virus to multiply therein. Therefore, fresh or tanned hide will be subject to a comprehensive ban.
From a country infected by FMD, fresh and tanned hide suspected of originating from animals afflicted by FMD will be subject to a temporary ban.
A ban on the import of fresh hide will remain, while tanned hide can be imported if certain requirements are met, including: substance with a minimum alkaline content of 2 percent has been applied to it; the import is made at least 28 eight days after application of the substance.
Meat import -- From a country where FMD is epidemic: fresh and processed meat is in the category of meat originating from animals afflicted by FMD wherein the FMD virus will multiply. The ban on fresh and processed meat is therefore comprehensive in nature.
From a country infected by FMD: the ban on fresh meat is comprehensive in nature, while processed meat is only temporarily banned.
Processed meat can be imported if the following requirements are met: it is subject to canning at 70 degrees Centigrade for 30 minutes; it is dried after salt is applied to it with the ratio between water and protein being 2.25 to 1.
Milk import -- From a country where FMD is epidemic: the ban on fresh milk and processed milk will be comprehensive in nature.
From a country infected by FMD: a temporary ban on fresh and processed milk. If the milk is intended for human consumption, the following requirements must be met: heated at ultra high temperature, i.e. above 132 degrees Centigrade for 1 second; the pH level must be smaller than 7 for 1 second at high temperature short time (HTST) and the pH must be higher than 7 on two occasions of HTST.
Animal feed import -- From a country where FMD is epidemic or is FMD-infected: the materials for animal feed originating from animals are subject to a comprehensive ban (with the exception of animal feed originating from fishery products).
Meanwhile, animal feed originating in agricultural produce such as greeneries and dried rice stalks can be imported under the following requirements: heated at 80 degrees Centigrade for 10 minutes; sprayed with formalin (35 percent to 40 percent) for 8 hours with a minimum temperature of 19 degrees Centigrade; and already harvested three months prior to import.
As for animal feed originating in agricultural produce such as corn, soybeans, legumes and so forth, there is no mention about them in the articles of OIE. Unlike the products of cloven-hoofed animals such as meat, hide and milk, agricultural produce is not produced in an environment where the FMD virus will multiply.
In the case of corn from Argentina, it is suspected that the corn has been infected by the FMD virus. In fact, as corn is not in a conducive environment for multiplication of the FMD virus, the virus will be dead by the time it is received.
Although Argentina is a country where FMD is epidemic, corn from that country is in the category of a product from an FMD- infected country because it is only alleged that the FMD virus is present in the corn. Therefore, the ban slapped on the corn from Argentina is temporary in nature.
The import of drugs -- A ban is imposed on the import of drugs for animals or for human beings if they are made from organs of cloven-hoofed animals and come from countries where FMD is epidemic or which is FMD-infected.
The import of used machinery -- A ban is imposed on the import of second-hand agricultural machinery from countries where FMD is epidemic.
Cattle, sperm and embryos -- A ban is imposed on their import from countries where FMD is epidemic or which is FMD-infected. It is worthy of mention that the ban on the import of drugs, used agricultural machinery, cattle, sperm and embryos is pursuant to the provisions of OIE.
The conclusion is that the circular of the agricultural minister conforms with the regulations stipulated by OIE.
--The writer is a veterinarian and the author of Mad Cow Disease.