Feds Urges Extreme Vigilance On FMD

As Biosecurity New Zealand continues to closely monitor the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Indonesia, Federated Farmers is urging holiday makers to also be extremely vigilant.

"Travel restrictions have eased and many families are keen to escape our winter for some sun overseas. But if FMD reached our shores it would be devastating for agriculture and our economy," Federated Farmers vice-president and biosecurity spokesperson Wayne Langford says.

"The FMD virus can live on footwear for 48 hours. Before returning to New Zealand please, please clean your shoes and jandals, or better still, buy cheap footwear while on holiday and dispose of them before you leave, and abide by the one week stand-down before visiting a farm here."

Indonesia reported two outbreaks of FMD to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on May 9th, after being free from it for 30 years.

Bali has about 16 million cattle, and now over 20,000 animals have been infected in 16 provinces on four Islands - Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Lombok.

FMD is also present in Malaysia and China.

"New Zealand has no direct flights to Bali, but MPI advises to not let overseas visitors near stock for a week after they were last near animals or infected places overseas."

Frontline staff at our border are paying close attention to goods and any travellers arriving in the country with Indonesia as their point of departure.

"Our biosecurity defenders are doing their bit - we need you to do the same," Wayne said.

"Bring back a tan - not Foot and Mouth disease."

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