• The number of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease has surpassed 151,000.
• The disease has been discovered in 18 of the country’s 34 provinces.
• It is highly contagious, causing sores and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals.

Indonesia’s agriculture ministry announced on Monday that a statewide livestock vaccination programme will begin this week, after the number of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease surpassed 151,000.

According to Kuntoro Boga Andri, the ministry’s spokesperson, some vaccines came on Sunday, and 800,000 more doses will arrive soon. He didn’t specify how many immunizations had been delivered thus far.

Healthy animals with a high risk of infection at livestock husbandry centres and cows managed by small farmers, among others, will be prioritised by the government, he added.

The disease has been discovered in 18 of the country’s 34 provinces, with the number of affected animals rapidly increasing from 20,000 just a month ago.

The disease is highly contagious, causing sores and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals, but not humans.

Despite the agriculture minister’s preference for locally made vaccinations, which are due to be produced by the end of August, the government plans to import 3 million doses of the disease vaccine from companies in France, Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand.

For the first time since the late 1980s, lawmakers accused the administration of being negligent in allowing the virus to spread rapidly. They have urged the government to step up measures to stop the virus from spreading further.

The outbreak occurs at a time when Indonesian meat prices are rising, and just before Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic holiday during which Muslims typically slaughter animals and distribute the meat to the poor.

According to Kuntoro, Indonesia had enough animals for the occasion.