The Bantul Police Department, Yogyakarta, has appealed to the public to report livestock infected with or suspected to have contracted the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which has started to spread to other areas.
Head of the Intelligence and Security Unit of the Bantul Police Department, Adjunct Commissioner Louis Stefanus Gregory, said that the National Police is working with the Bantul Food and Agriculture Security Office to mitigate the disease’s spread in Bantul.
He delivered the statement on Murtigading Village, Sanden, Bantul, on Wednesday.
The National Police chief has issued a clear directive, which is to take care of any reports related to FMD cases, he added.
“(People must) Report it to the relevant office, or to the police, or contact the nearest sectoral police so that we can (verify) whether the information is true or not,” he said.
The Police’s Food Task Force and the office have collectively disseminated information to the public and urged them to report any cases of FMD infection to the police.
In livestock, the presence of foot-and-mouth disease is indicated by blisters in the oral cavity, gums, tongue, toenails, and udder, along with excessive salivation, or foaming at the mouth.
Other symptoms include a high fever ranging between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius, a lack of appetite, difficulty standing or limping, and rapid breathing.
Head of the Bantul Food and Agriculture Security Office, Joko Waluyo, said that teams have been dispatched to each sub-district, with each coordinated by a veterinarian from the local animal health center.
The teams and the Bantul Police Food Task Force are imposing strict inspections and supervising group pens to ensure that livestock, especially cattle, remain free from the disease.
“Today’s activity is one of our activities with the Bantul Police. There are head of the Intelligence and Security Unit, head of the Community Development Unit, head of the Traffic Corps Unit, to work together to free Bantul of foot-and-mouth disease. So, the people of Bantul don’t have to hesitate, especially to celebrate Eid al-Adha; God willing, the livestock in Bantul are healthy,” he added.
Source: Antara News