Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)

WHAT IS FMD ?
FMD is a contagious livestock disease which is cause by virus. It can easily spread to claw type livestock such as cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep and swine. Wild animal such as deer and barking deer can easily be contagious by this virus.

SYMPTOMS:-

HOW THE DISEASE SPREAD ?
It is a contagious disease & will spread to livestock by saliva, blood and direct contact with infected livestock.  The virus can easily spread by human, vehicle, clothing, shoes and others.

WHY THE DISEASE SHOULD BE CONTROLLED AND HOW TO PREVENT THE DISEASE FROM SPREADING ?
FMD should be controlled because it can affect the livestock industry in this country.  From the economic  view, infected livestock will cause loss to the farmers and also to the country.  Infected livestock will get scabies and can cause death to the calves, goat or swine. The production of milking cows will decrease. The government expenditure will be increased  in order to control the spreading of the disease in the country. The exporting of meat from this country will be affected because any importing country will never import any product from country which are not free from FMD. Therefore it is important that the Department of Veterinary Serivces (DVS) together with all the public should cooperate with each other  in order to control the disease and make our country free from FMD.

STEPS IN CONTROLLING THE DISEASE FROM SPREADING:

  • Tie up suspected infected livestock. Report as soon as possible to the nearest officer in the District Veterinary Office.

  • If the epidemic happened at your place do not ever stray your livestock. Confine or tie up your  livestock at your place so that your livestock will not be infected. Do not transfer your livestock to different villages.

  • Do not slaughter infected livestock. Before buried your dead livestock  please report to the nearest District Veterinary Office.

  • Give permission or consent to the DVS staff vaccinate your livestock. In order to prevent the disease vaccination should be done twice  within the period 3 - 4 weeks and followed by annual vaccination programmed. No charge for the vaccination given. Full cooperation from all of you will be appreciated.

STEPS TAKEN BY DVS DURING FMD EPIDEMIC
Steps and action taken by DVS are as follow:-

  • Livestock from the village concerned will not be killed or confiscated. Farmers can reared their livestock provided that their livestock are tied up or confined until the livestock are cure from the disease.

  • In quarantine station and slaughter house, livestock which show symptom will cull immediately. Livestock which do not show any symptom but not from the infected group can be slaughtered but the meat should be separated from the bone.  The bone should be buried and  pour with chemical such as sodium carbonate.  The livestock skin should be soak in salt water for at least 14 (fourteen) days.  Then it has to be processed using arsenical preparation and the boneless meat can be consumed.

  • DVS staff will involved in the vaccination campaign in the epidemic area and also the nearby district.  Vaccination will be done at least twice and followed by annually vaccination program.

  • In order to transfer  livestock in the free epidemic areas, permission or consent from Veterinary State Director of Perak must be available.

  • Road block at the district border will be held. Claw livestock and its product could not be transfer out from the epidemic district to district which is free from this disease

  • Slaughtering by an individual in the village will not be permitted unless the livestock is inspected by DVS and consent given by the officer concerned.

  • Chemical such as  Sodium carbonate, Lysol, Yeye's liquid and lime powder will be given to farmers in order to control the Foot and Mouth Disease from spreading.