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››What is foot-and-mouth disease and why Australia should be concerned

What is foot-and-mouth disease and why Australia should be concerned

By Randy D. Cohen
July 15, 2022
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Foot-and-mouth disease is wreaking havoc among livestock in Indonesia and there is a real fear it could infect animals in Australia, potentially ruining the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and driving up meat prices.

Such is the concern, the federal government is spending millions of dollars trying to fight the disease in Indonesia so that it does not reach our shores. And Australians are encouraged to throw away the shoes they wore in Indonesia before boarding flights to reduce the risk of bringing contaminated soil home.

What is foot-and-mouth disease?

Foot-and-mouth disease – known as foot-and-mouth disease – is a virus that causes severe blisters and sores on the mouth and feet of cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs and goats. The symptoms prevent them from eating and can cause lameness and, in some cases, death.

Although not a human health risk, people are often carriers of the disease. They most commonly spread it via their shoes, clothing, or nose, where it can survive for up to 24 hours.

A man inspects livestock in Lampung Province, Indonesia. Source: AFP / PERDIANSYAH/AFP via Getty Images

Australia’s chief vet, Dr Mark Schipp, told SBS News it could have “devastating consequences”.

“FMD is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily between many animals,” he said. “This is worrying in terms of trade impact, as any country with this disease is largely unable to export its animals and animal products.”

Why is Australia concerned?

Foot-and-mouth disease is spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which until now had been free of the disease for 37 years. It is estimated that more than 330,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces, most recently on the popular tourist island of Bali, the closest to Australia for more than a century.

On Wednesday an Australian delegation including Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and Dr Schipp arrived in Indonesia to assess the situation and on Friday Senator Watt announced that the government would spend $14 million to try to control the disease. .

A man, a woman and two children standing on a farm

Farming family Mahlah and Ken Gray and their children.

Funding includes $5 million to support laboratory and diagnostic testing capacity building in Indonesia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea, as well as to support efforts on the ground in Indonesia and provide epidemiological data to model the likely spread of the virus in Indonesia and the region, Senator Watt said.

Another $9 million will go to 18 new biosecurity officers who will be stationed at Australian airports and mail centres, as well as detector dogs in Cairns and Darwin. Funding will also go to a new Northern Australia Coordinator to manage surveillance and preparedness strategies across the region.

What should I do if I return from Indonesia?

With more than 100 flights to and from Bali a week, industry executives, politicians and farmers fear foot-and-mouth disease could spread before Indonesia gets it under control.
“We are very concerned that tourists returning from Bali may bring contaminated soil on their shoes or bring back contaminated animal products such as meat or dairy,” Dr Schipp said.
Australia has begun to strengthen biosecurity measures at airports across the country. Educational videos are played on flights from Indonesia warning tourists that dirt on their shoes or clothes could inadvertently spread the disease.

Travelers are also reminded to declare any items they believe to be contaminated, to avoid heavy fines. The number of biosecurity officers and detector dogs has also been increased.

Senator Watt said Friday that the government is now profiling at-risk passengers returning from Indonesia.
“If any of those passengers fit the risk profile…then those passengers get screened and go through…be interviewed, have their shoes cleaned, have their luggage checked, have detector dogs,” he said.

“If someone comes back into the country and says they’ve been in contact with a dam or livestock, or have grain or meat products or any of the usual things you have to declare, then those passengers are also checked.”

Do I really have to throw away my thongs?

The federal government had previously announced that it would provide $1.5 million to fund at least one million doses for Indonesia’s foot-and-mouth vaccination program.
“Although there is a lot of focus on the traveling public returning from Indonesia… the most risky route for foot and mouth disease to return to our country is through animal products, meat products and dairy products,” said Senator Watt.

But some are calling on returning travelers to ditch their shoes altogether.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said it was the most surefire way to keep the disease out.
“For returning people, it can be as simple as throwing away those flip flops and getting a new pair of shoes when you arrive,” Toole said.
“You don’t want to be the person bringing foot and mouth disease back to Australia.”

The National Farmers Federation supported the call by promoting the slogan “Throw away your thongs” on social media. He also prompted the move by offering a 30% discount on another pair if travelers film themselves throwing their shoes away.

What are footbaths and why doesn’t Australia use them?

Footbaths are a commonly used control on farms and overseas to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease. These are buckets of chemicals that travelers arrive in to kill any potential traces of the disease they might be carrying.
Mahlah Grey, a dairy farmer from Kiama in New South Wales, said she thought they could be helpful.
“I was really surprised they didn’t start with the footbaths, I thought that would be a great first step,” she said.

“I’m glad to see that there are serious discussions underway, and would like to see policy in place very quickly to support keeping Australia free of foot and mouth disease.”

Shadow agriculture minister David Littleproud also criticized the federal government for not implementing footbaths.
“Unfortunately, there is still a strong cohort that doesn’t state or falsely states that it won’t matter, which is why you then need to make sure your supplement and supplement with foot baths,” said Mr. Littleproud.
But Dr Schipp said that although the government had considered the option, it would ultimately not be practical at airports.

“We know a lot of people coming back from Bali don’t have closed shoes, and if they do, it’s UGG boots or sand shoes that are going to absorb a lot of the chemical from the footbath and that product chemical is quite corrosive.”

What could it mean if he arrived in Australia?

If the virus crossed Australia’s borders, farmers across the country could be forced to cull their herds, domestic trade would be curtailed and entire farms locked down.
“We should close immediately, no one, no vehicles, no one on the farm,” Ms Gray said.
“In addition to that, it would be looking at the longer-term impact if the animals were infected. It would be devastating; our entire business would be wiped out.

Any presence of FMD in a country also immediately terminates all international exports. Given that 70% of Australia’s agricultural products are exported, the estimated cost of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is $80 billion. Once a country is marked as having foot-and-mouth disease, it takes several years before trade can resume.

For small farmers like Mrs Grey, it would mean the end of a long-standing business.
“We have farmed here on this property for 160 years, an epidemic like foot and mouth disease would be the end of that legacy,” she said.
Nowra vet Andrew Havadjia said an outbreak would be “catastrophic”, noting eradication of the disease could take some time, especially if it enters Australia’s wild populations including deer, camels and pigs.

“The biggest problem in Australia is that it’s a big place and we have a lot of wildlife, and if they get into those populations we may not even be able to get rid of them and that’s our greatest fear,” he said.

What happened in the UK?

By the time foot-and-mouth disease was detected in the UK in 2001, the disease had already spread to over 50 localities and the results were devastating. International trade in livestock meat and dairy products in the UK has been suspended and major events have been canceled to stop the spread, including the general election.

The disease decimated the economy, costing an estimated $13 billion. In the seven months it took to eliminate the virus, more than six million sheep and cattle had to be slaughtered.

Fire on farmland

Over six million sheep and cattle have been destroyed in the UK to control foot and mouth disease. Credit: Tom Stoddart/Getty Images

The UK’s National Farmers Union said most farmers were still unsettled by the events of two decades ago.

“The foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001 was devastating to UK cattle and sheep farmers and will never be forgotten by those who lived through it,” he said.

What does this mean for farmers?

Daniel Cochrane, a sixth-generation farmer, said a possible outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease would be traumatic.
“It’s hard enough when a cow dies,” he said.

“Slaughtering entire herds would be heartbreaking.”

A man standing in a field

Daniel Cochrane says he would likely sell his NSW dairy farm if FMD took over his property. Source: SBS News / Amelie Dunn

He and his brothers run several dairies in Nowra on the NSW south coast and their businesses have survived drought, fires and floods.

“A lot of us are already nervous mentally, and financially a lot of people are already hurting,” he said.
“If FMD came in, you would probably see this farm on the market.

“I couldn’t do it. I would have gone out. I think I would sell the farm.

“We need the traveling public to take this seriously,” said Senator Watt.
“If foot-and-mouth disease enters our country, it will be a devastating blow to our agricultural industry, especially our livestock industry.”

– with PAA

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