Reports of FMD in Bali create ‘much higher risk’

Fears that foot and mouth disease could have been in Bali for two weeks before it was confirmed have sparked incursion fears from returning travellers.

Australian livestock producers are on high alert following reports foot and mouth disease could have been in Bali for at least two weeks.

It comes after reports over the weekend FMD had been confirmed in 63 infected cows in Bali.

Industry leaders are now calling for tourists to be bombarded with information on their return for Bali as the threat of bringing in FMD ramps up.

Dr Ross Ainsworth, who has four decades experience in private, government and industry roles and lives in Indonesia, said it was time to increase biosecurity out of Bali and into Australia.

“Considering the time to get lab tests done this means that the infection has been in Bali for perhaps two weeks,” Dr Ainsworth said.

“All the infected areas are frequented by many tourists so the danger of transmission to Australia is much greater than before.

“There are lots more tourists here in Bali and with school holidays in Australia there will be a lot more Aussies coming and going over the next few weeks.”

Dr Ainsworth said information he had received this morning there were four Bali districts

districts mentioned with FMD infections – one on the north central coast near Singaraja and three to the north east of Denpasar.

“This means the pressure is now really on as infection will be in Seminyak and Canggu, the major tourist areas in a matter of days if it is not here already,” he said.

BAD TIMING

The timing of the Bali outbreak could not be worse given a tourism resurgence to the Indonesian island with up to 13 flights leaving Australia daily as well as a school holiday surge.

FMD was confirmed in Bali with 63 cows infected according to media reports.

A veterinarian prepares a vaccine for foot-mouth-disease for cows ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice, in Lampung on June 29. Picture: Perdiansyah/AFP

The report said the movement of cattle outside of Bali had now been stopped.

Industry leaders had already been calling for a range of extra biosecurity measures for those returning from Bali before there was an outbreak on the island, and now these calls have been stepped up.

Wool Producers Australia Ed Storey told The Weekly Times there needed to be very strict protocols when visitors returned from Bali because “that is the destination that Australians go to”.

“We have great confidence in our systems in Australia run by our departments but we want very strong measures put in place,” Mr Storey said.

“Everyone is now very clearly aware that this represents a much higher risk than we have seen in the past given the volume of traffic that comes back from Bali.

“We know the huge volume of traffic means a greater chance of someone coming back with something they shouldn’t.”

A veterinarian administers a vaccine for foot-mouth-disease to a cow ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice, in Lampung on June 29. Picture: Perdiansyah/AFP

Mr Storey said there should be greater engagement with tourists when they came back from Bali, given that many would have no idea of the risk FMD presented to Australia.

“What we don’t want to hear is that these checks are not being done to the level they should be because of cost or staff – just get it done,” he said.

“I am confident we can keep FMD out but I am not confident the everyday Australian city dweller or person living on the coast understands the risk.”

EDUCATION UPGRADE

Mr Storey said an advertising campaign that detailed these risks on the planes going over to Bali would be very useful.

“There should also be media at airports when people are departing the country so they are very clear on the risks and the things they can’t bring back,” he said.

“There is not much point telling them on the plane on the way home an hour out of Sydney that they can’t do this or that because it is already done.

“There needs to be strong messaging at the airports, strong messaging at the travel agents, and a co-ordinated holistic approach – no measures are too many.”

TRAVEL ALERT

Travellers returning from Bali should be made to disinfect their shoes both before boarding their flight home and when they arrive back in a call to stop Australia importing foot and mouth disease.

Dr Ainsworth has called for additional biosecurity measures and said there was an “extremely high” risk of a FMD outbreak within the next one to six months.

“Considering the magnitude of the impact of an outbreak of FMD to Australia and the dramatically increased risk presented by the current epidemic in Indonesia, I believe it would be appropriate to upgrade the biosecurity measures to match this increasing risk,” Dr Ainsworth said.

“Until Bali is fully protected by vaccination of its cattle and pig populations, an increase in attention paid to tourists returning to Australia, especially their footwear, seems to be to be warranted.

A veterinarian administers a vaccine for foot-mouth-disease to a cow head. Picture: Perdiansyah

“Travellers are already used to a multitude of annoying Covid interventions so additional requirements such as ensuring shoes are clean and walking through a wet sponge infused with disinfectant before boarding and after leaving the flight would see to me to be simple and sensible measures which might help to assess the new level of risk.”

FLIGHT RISK

Dr Ainsworth said a search of airlines showed 13 direct daily flights were leaving from Australian capital cities to Bali daily.

“This will increase by at least double later this year,” he said.

“There is no need to restrict tourism to Bali, just reduce the chances that one unknowing traveller will cost Australia and its livestock industries $50 billion not to mention massive animal welfare implications.

“The risk will return to more traditional levels once Indonesia’s susceptible animal populations are fully protected by a comprehensive vaccination program.”

And while some may be discounting the chances of an incursion given there were regular FMD outbreaks in Asia, Dr Ainsworth said their Indonesian situation was different.

Four factors increased the chances of FMD transmission to Australia:

– Rapid spread of the disease throughout the Indonesian islands and its imminent arrival on Bali

– Limited supplies of vaccine

– Bali’s main religion being Hindu, which meant large numbers of pigs as well as up to 600,000 cattle spread across the island

– Rebounding of tourism to Bali

Dr Ainsworth said cattle were in the major tourist areas of Bali, and were so quiet that it was easy for tourists to approach them and pat them.

“They are stunningly beautiful animals, so it is not uncommon for tourists to approach them for close-up photographs,” he said.

“In mainland Asia, where Australian tourism is also very common, national FMD vaccination programs are normal practice, so the chances of a tourist encountering an infected animal excreting large volumes of the virus are remote.”