Vaccinations, not culling, Australia’s best response to FMD, experts say
VACCINATION rather than mass culling of livestock should be Australia’s response to foot and mouth disease (FMD), according to livestock biosecurity experts.
Addressing an MLA biosecurity breakfast in Brisbane on Tuesday, the three speakers endorsed vaccination over the ‘triple D’ response – “destroy, dispose and decontamination”.
One exception, however, could be small localised outbreak, said Dr Peter Dagg: “If we have a very localised, a very small outbreak – if that happens – then we might not use vaccine. Slaughter will be a component in the hot spots where the disease is actually identified on an infected premises.”
Animal Health Australia’s head of AUSVETPLAN continued: “The strategy is more about movement controls because FMD is a contagious disease, so it’s all about movement controls and restricting the potential spread of the virus.”
He stressed the availability of vaccine for Australian livestock producers. “We have a vaccine bank held over in the UK and they will make up vaccine and move it to Australia within seven days of us requesting it, if we have an outbreak,” he said.
MLA’s program manager of animal wellbeing, Dr Michael Laurence said: “I don’t believe culling animals would be the way to control foot and mouth, should it come into Australia. Vaccine will be the first line of defence.”
Sue Webster / Beef Central
Read full article Share on twitter