BIOSECURITY was the focus of a recent tour to Nepal for a trio of WA women who were given the opportunity to examine the impacts of foot and mouth disease (FMD) on the local farming communities.
Grower Group Alliance chairwoman, Facey Group committee member and Yealering producer Dr Kelly Pearce, Western Dairy research and extension officer Jessica Andony and Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) veterinary officer Michaela McArthur, attended the recent five-day course alongside agriculture industry professionals and vets from throughout Australia and the world.
The course was organised and co-ordinated by the European Commission for the control of FMD (EuFMD) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, with support from the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
During the course the group went into the field and examined real-life cases of FMD, as well as undertaking course work with trainers from the United Kingdom and Europe who had been involved with the management of the FMD outbreaks in the UK in 2001 and 2007.
Dr Pearce was sponsored by Sheepmeat Council, Ms Andony by Dairy Australia and Dr McArthur by DAFWA, and all said it was fascinating to hear the stories from both local Nepalese farmers dealing with FMD in their animals and from the course experts who had experience with FMD outbreaks.
“If FMD were ever to make it to Australian shores, there would be responses at international, national, State and local levels,” Dr Pearce said.
“But grower groups and DAFWA would have to play a crucial role at the State and local response level, in aiding and facilitating the eradication of the disease.
“Looking at the Esperance bushfires and the Ravensthorpe floods for example, grower groups played a major role in the support and co-ordinating efforts surrounding those major events, so it makes sense that representatives from those sorts of groups should be attending courses on biosecurity, which is why I was asked to attend.”
Dr Pearce said if there was an FMD outbreak, Australia’s export markets would close immediately and not be restored until it could be shown the nation was free of the disease.
“In WA we export 80 per cent of our livestock and livestock product, which was worth $2 billion in 2015/16, so an outbreak would have catastrophic effects on our regions,” she said.
“It’s very easy to be complacent and assume it’ll never happen here in Australia, but after seeing and hearing about the real-life impact and the devastation of it, I realised most of us just don’t comprehend how bad an outbreak of FMD would be.
“It would wipe out rural businesses and people like my husband and I could lose our entire flock and livelihood.
“I think that’s what surprised me the most – just how bad it really would be for our rural communities and I guess the message is that we can never afford to be complacent.”
During the course, the group also learnt about biosecurity management and how to identify FMD in the field.
“We were taken out to properties with FMD and taught how to age the lesions, which then allows you the opportunity to trace back and trace forward what the biosecurity response needs to be,” Dr Pearce said.
“People asked why I was going over there to learn about FMD.
“I guess the most important part of the process is the training we’ve brought back with us to Australia and our capacity to articulate what we’ve learnt to others.
“Seeing it first-hand in the context of Nepal was really confronting because the disease has just devastated those rural communities.
“We went from farm to farm, asking the farmers how they had coped with the disease and that was a very emotional day.
“Their livelihoods had been taken away from them and that is what would happen here.”
Ms Andony said her message to livestock producers after seeing FMD first hand was to be vigilant.
“If you see something suspicious it is vital that you report it to a DAFWA vet immediately,” she said.
“Good on-farm biosecurity practices are really important but especially for FMD, as it can spread very fast.”
Dr McArthur said the timing of reporting was crucial.
“We know that a delay in reporting means that disease will spread, which means it will take longer to eradicate and increase the cost and impact on WA’s livestock industries,” Dr McArthur said.
“Vets need to be aware of the signs of FMD and that is what was really valuable about the Nepal training.
“Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious disease that affects all animals with cloven hooves, including cattle, sheep and pigs.
“If you are looking at cattle you might see lesions on the gums, teats, in between the toes or on the tongue, fever and profuse salivation.
“In sheep and goats the signs will be much more subtle.
“Pigs are more likely to have painful feet and appear as though walking on hot coals.
“But the other factor is that vets can’t be out at everyone’s properties every week, so it’s really important that everyone in the livestock industries is aware of what the signs of FMD are and what to look for.
“It’s also important to be aware of how FMD could enter Australia – the biggest risk is from travellers or others illegally importing meat and dairy goods and then feeding them to pigs.
“FMD could also enter by people from infected countries returning with the virus on their clothing, footwear or equipment and then having contact with animals.
“If there was a breakout in WA I’m not sure what our involvement would be, but our names are now on a list and there is no doubt that people who have completed this course would get a call up to help in the management effort,” Dr Pearce said.
She said the more people who have been trained in biosecurity response, the better.
“We can never be too careful.”
You can find out more about the signs of FMD on the DAFWA website – agric.wa.gov.au – search FMD (agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/foot-and-mouth-disease-recognise-and-report-signs).
To report signs of FMD, call your DAFWA vet or the emergency animal disease hotline on 1800 675 888.
