Indonesia says Australian cattle likely infected with skin disease at home

[August 01, 2023]  JAKARTA (Reuters) - Live cattle imported from Australia by major buyer Indonesia were likely infected with lumpy skin disease (LSD) at home, an Indonesian official said on Tuesday, as the Asian nation put imports from four Australian facilities on hold.

Bambang, head of Indonesia's Agriculture Quarantine Agency who goes by one name, said 13 cattle tested positive for LSD immediately upon arrival between May and July from eight separate vessels.

Some of the cows had lumps on their skin, indicating they had been infected prior to their arrival in Indonesia, he told a news conference. In addition to blisters, the highly infectious virus LSD also reduces milk production.

"The journey from Australia took about a week at most. With the 28-day incubation period, we really believe (the LSD) could potentially have originated there," Bambang said.

Australia says it is LSD free, and its chief veterinary officer has said the infections were not unexpected, given the presence of LSD in Indonesia. Indonesia is still importing live cattle from other facilities, the Australian agriculture minister has said.

A department of Agriculture and Food Security officer injects a cow with a dose of vaccine to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease at a cattle farm in Tangerang, Banten province, Indonesia, July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/file photo

Bambang said LSD has been found in cattle farms in Indonesia's Sumatra and Java islands. An Australian investigation into the matter will conclude in September, he added.

Indonesia bought about 56% of Australia's total live cattle exports in 2021–22, data showed, in deals worth about A$900 million ($600 million).

Based on Indonesian data, more than 303,000 live cattle were imported from Australia last year, while imports so far this year exceeded 153,000 cattle.

(Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; editing by Miral Fahmy)

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