Farmer groups are urging travellers to take preventative measures to help keep the potentially devastating foot and mouth disease out of Australia after reports of the livestock disease reaching the popular holiday island of Bali.
“The risk of tourists unknowingly bringing home foot and mouth is very real,” VFF president Emma Germano said.
“We’ve kept it out of Australia for over 100 years and we need to do all we can to keep it that way,” she said.
“The reality is that if FMD enters Australia, our cows, sheep, pigs and any cloven-hoofed animal will be at serious risk from this highly contagious disease.”
Ms Germano said travellers could help stop its spread by implementing simple measures when holidaying or returning from Indonesia, including:
- Have clothes packed and cleaned at the local laundromat while on holiday. This ensures any clothes are free from dirt and/or potential contaminants and packed away before returning.
- Make sure shoes (sole tread, sides and upper) have been thoroughly cleaned and are free from soil or other possible contaminants. This eliminates any possible residues and reduces possible contamination.
- Avoid encounters with cows, pigs, sheep and general livestock. Avoid patting, getting up close to or being in proximity of these animals while on holiday.
“With flights between Victoria and Bali departing a number of times each day, we can’t afford for a disease superhighway to open up between Denpasar and Victoria,” Ms Germano said.
National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson called on the Federal Government to "undertake rapid risk analysis to ensure our prevention measures are equal to this new level of risk“.
"The news that FMD has reached Bali has sent a shiver up the spine of Australian farmers, as the risk of it reaching our shores has undoubtedly grown,“ she said.
“Indonesia is one of our closest partners, both diplomatically and in terms of trade.
“The government must continue to support our neighbours to bring this spread under control. This is vital to protecting our industry.
"An incursion of FMD alone would cost Australia up to $80 billion — hurting the entire economy, not just the farm sector.
"Our ability to produce food and fibre for Australians and the world would take a major blow, which is why biosecurity is important to every single person.“
Travellers who have visited a farm or been in contact with animals in infected countries need to declare this when arriving in Australia.