Antara–Feb 8
The Agriculture Ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations have chosen four areas in Indonesia as places of a pilot project to cope with the spread of contagious zoonosis.
At a discussion here last Wednesday, the National Technical Advisor for One Health and Zoonosis Control of FAO ECTAD Indonesia, Andri Jatikusumah said Bengkalis in Riau, Ketapang in West Kalimantan, Boyolali in Central Java and Minahasa in North Sulawesi had been chosen as places for the pilot project.
“North Sulawesi is facing high risk of the disease, therefore it is chosen as a place for the pilot project. We select areas based on the risks and condition of medical infrastructure and commitment of the regional administration to carry out the project,” Andri said.
Zoonosis is a contagious disease that could spread from animals to human beings or the other way round.
Andri said prevention and eradication of zoonosis and new Emerging Infectious Disease (EID), in the four areas is to be handled with the “One Health” approach together with the Directorate General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health of the Agriculture Ministry.
Meanwhile FAO and the Agriculture Ministry would seek to increase the capacity of field officers to prevent the spread of zoonosis and EID, which is a deadly disease in Indonesia.
“Increase in the capacity of field officers is necessary as they are the first to detect any symptoms and take the necessary action in the event of an outbreak of pests,” Andri said.
The focus of the pilot project is to cope with three main zoonosis diseases – rabies, anthrax and avian influenza (AI) or bird flu and new EID.
Head of the Epidemiology and Animal Health Information System section of the Agriculture Ministry, Andi Hidayat said almost 60 percent of infectious diseases originate from animals.
Andi also said around 75 percent of human diseases, which spread by microbe including HIV, influenza such as H1N1, H5N1, and H7N9, Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), MERS-CoV, Ebola, Marburg, and Nipah, also originate from animals. New EID, which is already found long in wild birds and human spreads fast.
“It spreads fast on global transport, urbanization and biomedic manipulation. Improper use of antibiotics also contribute to the increase in the spread of bacteria,” Andi said.
