Home of Australia’s largest saleyard cautious about FMD outbreak
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Maranoa Regional Council says its local disaster management group (LDMG) will meet regularly to manage the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Outbreaks of FMD and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Indonesia have sparked major concerns in Queensland cattle producing regions that the disease could be brought here by travellers from affected areas.
The Maranoa region is home to Australia’s biggest saleyards, at Roma, with local agencies working to ensure prevention and preparedness if there’s a biosecurity emergency.
Mayor, Tyson Golder, said Council and the LDMG will meet regularly, and a preparedness exercise was held last week.
“The exercise was a great opportunity for representatives from agencies and industry to gain a better understanding of the Roma Saleyards Livestock Standstill Plan and the role they may play should a threat emerge and a standstill is ordered.
“The impact of an FMD and LSD outbreak in Australia would be catastrophic for our region. We all can play a part in stopping the disease by reducing our risk.”
FMD is the world’s most feared disease of livestock. It’s a highly contagious viral infection present in many areas of southeast Asia.
The current outbreak affects 22 of 37 Indonesian provinces, including the island of Bali, a popular destination for Australian holidaymakers. More than 450,000 cattle have been infected.
The Indonesian Government said last week that FMD has not been eradicated in Bali, but there are currently no new reported cases.
It said it will use vaccines to control the outbreak by the end of the year.