Australia donates another half a million lumpy skin disease vaccines to Indonesia

Australia has donated another 500,000 doses of lumpy skin disease vaccine to Indonesia — bringing the total to nearly one million — as the highly contagious virus continues to “wreak havoc” across the archipelago. The delivery arrived in Jakarta last week and will be followed by another 500,000 doses later in the year according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It comes after the Albanese Government last year gave Indonesia 435,000 LSD vaccine doses and four million foot-and-mouth disease vaccine doses at a cost of more than $6 million. Acting Australian chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson said LSD and FMD presented the most significant threats to Australia’s biosecurity in decades. “Australia has been providing support to our nearest neighbours and close trading partners — like Indonesia — as they work to curb spread of these diseases,” she said. “The work happening in Indonesia now is essential to reducing the impact of diseases throughout the region, including the risk of LSD or FMD entering Australia.” LSD causes milk production losses and skin sores in cattle and water buffalo, and can be spread by mosquitoes, biting flies and ticks. It has never been detected in Australia, but has been spreading throughout Indonesia since early last year, putting livestock industries on high alert. The detection of either disease in Australia would shut down meat and livestock markets overnight and cost the economy billions of dollars. Nuryani Zainuddin, director of animal health at Indonesia’s Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services, said LSD had been confirmed in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu, Lampung, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta and Central Kalimantan. He said Indonesia’s central Government was working “hand in hand” with local government to control the disease. “Lumpy skin disease has wreaked havoc on our livestock industry, causing economic losses for our farmers,” Dr Zainuddin said. “It is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads rapidly, and its impact on productivity of our cattle cannot be underestimated. “The donation of LSD vaccines from the Australian Government will play a vital role in our efforts to control and eventually eradicate lumpy skin disease in Indonesia.” A DAFF spokesman said Indonesia was currently targeting livestock populations that had yet to receive the LSD vaccine, and providing booster shots in infected areas. “Vaccination coverage in Indonesia of more than 80 per cent of the livestock population in infected areas is a major step in controlling the rate of spread of LSD outbreaks,” the spokesman said. “Vaccinations will be carried out more intensively, especially closer to the (Islamic holiday) Eid al-Adha in June 2023.” The Australian Government has so far committed more than $17m to directly support Indonesia’s efforts to control outbreaks of FMD and LSD. Dr Cookson said Australia would continue to provide support for emergency animal disease control efforts in Indonesia, with further programs scheduled throughout the year.