VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Task Force continues to improve accuracy of the FMD case reporting system in order to offer an accurate picture of case handling.

"We continue to improve the reporting system's accuracy. This became important because information delivered to the public should truly describe the (entire scenario of) FMD case handling on the field," Task Force's Expert Team Coordinator  Wiku Adisasmito  noted.

Data collection workers in regions are expected to continue to synchronize manual and digital data, including data gathered by the military and police, he stated during an online press conference on FMD handling on Thursday.

The task force also urged all workers on the field to always conduct detailed monitoring to locate livestock with clinical symptoms similar to FMD and report every new FMD case.

Meanwhile, Adisasmito also confirmed that the task force continues to optimize the testing strategy to support efforts to handle the plague that afflicts livestock.

The task force also strives to monitor livestock traffic and ensure that products from animals are safe from FMD.

The government has targeted a testing quota of around 345 thousand samples to ensure optimal plague handling while also providing the best protection for livestock vulnerable to FMD.

"Testing activity will be undertaken in 12 laboratories appointed by the Agriculture Ministry," he noted.

Moreover, 27 laboratories, under coordination of the Agriculture Quarantine Agency, are still under the review process. The government evaluates the adequacy of facilities and infrastructure of these laboratories in examining FMD samples.

"Several laboratories under other ministries are also being prepared to be able to help with examination if they are needed to expedite testing," Adisasmito stated.

The task force also urged regional governments to actively deliver specimens from animals suspected of having contracted FMD from locations that potentially became FMD infection locations.

"These locations include animal slaughter houses or specimens obtained from livestock traffic to the referral laboratory route. Specimens' delivery should be done periodically to ensure the condition of livestock," he noted. (Antaranews)