Foot and mouth disease detected at Australian airports

FOOT and mouth disease has been detected in meat declared by travellers at Australian airports.

Disease detected: FMD affects sheep, cattle, deer, goats and pigs, and can spread through close contact between animals and also through the air over short distances. Picture: Chris Kidd

FOOT and mouth disease has been detected on Australian shores during testing conducted in the wake of African Swine Fever discoveries.

The discoveries were made by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources staff screening meat confiscated at Australian international airports.

The FMD virus fragments were discovered between January 21 to February 3, however the frequency of positive FMD tests remains unknown.

During the second round of testing, 40 samples out of 283 were found to be contaminated with swine fever and two of the 283 tested positive for FMD.

FMD affects sheep, cattle, deer, goats and pigs, and can spread through close contact between animals and also through the air over short distances.

Studies have estimated $50 billion in economic losses over 10 years if a medium to large scale FMD outbreak was to occur in Australia.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud expected his department to issue fines against anyone failing to declare meat in their luggage.

“We need a penalties-based system, not a warnings-based system,” Mr Littleproud said.

“We need this issue to be taken seriously by travellers.”

A Department of Agriculture spokesman said the positive FMD results were not unexpected, as all banned meat products seized at the border are treated as potentially contaminated with FMD virus and are destroyed.

The spokesman said the results do not change Australia’s FMD and ASF-free status.