Health Office Reaffirms FMD Not Transmissible to Humans

TheIndonesia.id - The food security, maritime, and agriculture office (DKPKP) in Jakarta province has asked the public to remain calm amid the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in regions across Indonesia as the animal disease hasn’t been found to be transmissible to humans.

The office said even though thousands of cattle in different provinces have been infected with the disease, public shouldn’t panic because FMD is not zoonotic and cannot be transmitted from animals to humans, and the right cooking process will ensure safety.

“FMD on livestock is not zoonotic – meaning that it won’t transmit to or infect humans. Therefore, the public doesn’t need to panic and be worried in consuming meat and milk because they’re safe if cooked or processed properly,” head of DKPKP Jakarta Suharini Eliawati said on Wednesday, May 18, as reported by Antara.

She also explained that FMD is an acute viral disease that is highly contagious in animals with cloven hoof such as cows, buffalos, goats, sheep, and pigs with up 90 to 100 percent transmission rate. Mortality rate is also high among calves.

FMD virus can easily be found in the blood, saliva, and innards of infected animals.

And to ensure all livestock products are safe during an outbreak, Eliawati said people should bring milk to a boil for five minutes while stirring. Meanwhile, instead of only washing it, people should also cook the meat in boiling water for 30 minutes – or store it in refrigerator for 24 hours to inactivate the virus.

Lastly, Eliawati also called for the public to maintain personal hygiene and the sanitation of space and equipment that are used to process meat. And among the many things that can be done is by using soap when washing hand and cooking tools.

DKPKP Jakarta aims to closely monitor the transport of livestock to and from the province to reduce the chance of spread and infection.