Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Yogyakarta: UGM Forms Task Force

KBRN, Yogyakarta: Yogyakarta Province's Department of Agriculture and Food Security (DPKP) reported that up to 824 cows were infected with Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) as of January 1, 2025. Of that number, 21 cows were reported dead. This condition is causing a significant alarm among livestock breeders.

In response to the escalating number of FMD cases in Yogyakarta and nationwide, the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has established a task force to address the issue.

The task force aims to prevent the further spread of FMD and effectively treat infected animals in the Yogyakarta Province and throughout the country.

This was conveyed by the University of Gadjah Mada's (UGM) Faculty of Animal Husbandry Dean Prof. Budi Guntoro, on Monday (Jan 6), as quoted by rri.co.id.

The task force will be responsible for ensuring that the prevention and control of FMD can be carried out more quickly and systematically.

"UGM's Faculty of Animal Husbandry lecturer team representatives have also conducted an initial survey of cattle farm locations affected by FMD in Gunungkidul," said Budi.

Budi emphasized that biosecurity is another crucial step in addressing the FMD outbreak. Biosecurity is the action of preventing the transmission or contamination of disease into or out of a place.

This action are essential to prevent the spread of the virus.

The safety of livestock, humans, and the environment is a priority. Therefore, several concrete measures are required, such as monitoring the movement of animals in and out of the barn and isolating livestock infected by FMD.

Previously, hundreds of livestock, especially cows in the Gunungkidul, Bantul, Sleman, and Kulon Progo Regencies areas, have been infected with FMD. In fact, quite a few have died. ***