By: Tri Satya Putri Naipospos

(Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies)

The government plans to establish animal quarantine in an island to prevent Foot and Mouth Disease. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is one of the most contagious animal diseases in the world. It has devastating economic consequences and is a potential agroterrorism agent which can be used to ruin the livestock industry of a country.

Animal health experts dream of globally eradicating FMD. Rinderpest, another infectious animal disease, was successfully eradicated worldwide in 2011. Rinderpest is easier to eradicate because the virus only has a single serotype. FMD has 7 serotypes and over 60 subtypes within it. New subtypes could emerge anytime.

Over 100 countries are infected by FMD and only few have FMD free zones. Indonesia is one of 67 countries free of FMD. However, our options for importing livestock and animal products become limited because only few countries with FMD free zones have export capacity.

Cattle Import

For FMD free countries, including Indonesia, it is very important to ensure that animal and animal products imported are from countries with the same status. Live animal trade between FMD endemic countries and FMD free countries is not recommended.

The World Animal Health Organization (OIE) developed animal health standards and requirements for animal and animal product importation to ensure safe trade worldwide. OIE states cattle could be imported from countries with FMD free zones, but with strict additional requirements.

The requirements are focused on the exporting country, i.e. no FMD case found near the exporting farm, 30 days isolation before quarantine, negative results on serology testing and virus isolation, 30 days quarantine and negative test results at the end of the quarantine period, no FMD case found near the quarantine area, and no contact with potential sources of infection during transportation from quarantine to harbor.

Animals arriving at the importing country are required to be placed in quarantine. The plan to place imported cattle on the quarantine island before it is released to other areas in Indonesia is a technically acceptable option; however it does not guarantee zero FMD risk.

FMD could be difficult to detect in quarantined cattle because there is a carrier status in vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals. Typically, the FMD virus can survive in an animal up to 6 months. However in a small portion of animals, the virus can be found after 3.5 years. Carrier animals look healthy and do not exhibit symptoms of FMD.

Quarantine can provide protection from animals at risk of carrying FMD. There are several terms which could be applied to the quarantine island, e.g. post-import quarantine or maximum security quarantine. The quarantine island should be located close to livestock production areas, be a non-agriculture area, free from free-roaming animals, and the size of the island should enable effective patrol and continuous surveillance.

Quarantine facilities should be sterile, including water, feed, equipment and animal bedding. Establishments should have sufficient electricity and be protected by strong fences. A special animal-handling facility is needed for the collection of blood and other samples. The island also needs a waste management facility, vector control, and an incinerator for carcass disposal of animals that died during quarantine.

Currently Indonesia does not have any livestock carrier. Ships coming from exporting countries should be strictly regulated in its navigation through domestic waters towards the quarantine island. Foreign livestock carriers should be prohibited from transiting in any other area in Indonesia. One crucial facility needed on the quarantine island is a harbor which enables easy loading and unloading of livestock. Veterinary supervision during quarantine is mandatory. Visitors are not allowed unless accompanied by an authorized veterinarian on the island.

Policies in other countries

Other countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, have long had quarantine islands for livestock. Currently most of the islands are no longer operational. The animal quarantine station on Coccos Island was built by Australia in 1980 to hold and test exotic animal species before the animals were brought inland. The station was closed in 1998 and is now used to house boat people.

Torres Island in southern Australia was built in 1887 for human and animal quarantine purposes. In 1979, human quarantine services were closed, but animal quarantine continued. In 1995 the animal quarantine station was officially closed. Meanwhile, livestock imported to New Zealand were quarantined in Matiu/Somes Island starting 1889; however the island was acknowledged as an animal quarantine station only in 1908. The station was closed in 1995 due to lack of use.

In 1832, Grosse-Ile Island in eastern Quebec, Canada, was built for human quarantine purposes. Almost 4 million immigrants passed through this station, before it was closed in 1937. In 1952, the island was repurposed as an animal quarantine station. The island was used to quarantine cattle imported from FMD infected countries starting from 1966, however the number of cattle imported decreased every year. The last herd of cattle was imported in 1986. In 1993, Grosse-Ile Island was transformed into a national park for tourism purposes.

Government plans

The development of a quarantine island can be accepted as part of FMD risk mitigation for a country. No trade is zero risk, what we can do is estimate, reduce and manage the risk. The issue now is how the quarantine island concept can be agreed upon by all stakeholders, i.e. cross sector government services and the private sector. The quarantine island’s purpose of providing maximum security against dangerous diseases is different from a breeding or meat-producing purpose.

The current plan to transform Naduk Island in Bangka Belitung province into a quarantine island requires a very large budget. Spending of the budget should be accountable. Import cost for animals will increase. Experience from other countries shows that cattle imported from FMD infected countries were isolated for 1 year on the quarantine island. The quarantine period is long enough to provide assurance that all cattle are healthy and FMD free.

However, the government needs to consider whether the economic consequences of importing cattle from countries with FMD free zone can be compensated by the prospect of increasing domestic population or providing meat at a more affordable price.

Source: Kompas