A little help from the neighbor…

Do people still ask for a bit of sugar from their neighbors? We may not be in the 50s anymore, but a friendly neighbor is always handy! Example: Indonesia, with the help of Australia, is taking steps to control a Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the country. This information was highlighted in September’s Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) newsletter and its monthly domestic and global swine disease surveillance reports. 

• SHIC Associate Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says FMD has been on the radar for some time. In Indonesia, cases have primarily affected cattle, but some pigs have been infected as well.

The Indonesian government has started to deploy a strategic vaccine campaign to contain and reduce spread of the virus, and with the help of the Australian government, they have vaccinated approximately 1.6 million livestock. 

Australia’s efforts, other than the 10 million dollars in biosecurity packages offered to their neighbors, include increasing surveillance of their borders to prevent contracting the virus from outbreak regions.