MELAKA: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) through the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) has tightened checks on the entry of imported cattle at the country's border to prevent the spread of the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).

Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah said MAQIS took the measure following the detection of the infectious disease in several Asian countries including Thailand, adding the disease had also been discovered to infect cattle in Perak and Selangor.

He said imported cattle must first be screened and quarantined to ensure they were free from diseases.

"Besides that, the Veterinary Services Department (JPV) in each state has been instructed to conduct close surveillance and monitoring and is asked to report immediately to the ministry if there is an infection.

"We have asked farms affected by the LSD to isolate the cattle because the disease can only be transmitted among the animals and does not spread or harm humans," he told reporters in Ayer Keroh here today.



MAFI-CATTLE 2 (LAST) MELAKA



Ahmad said infected cattle would be culled and the affected farms would be placed under strict surveillance, adding no animals would be allowed out or sold without permission from the veterinary department.

"Those found to be breaching the directive can be prosecuted under the Animals Act 1953 (Amendment 2013)," he said.

Meanwhile, Perak Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Razman Zakaria said the state JPV had taken samples from a farm in Simpang Pulai, Ipoh and was waiting for the test results, adding so far no cattle had been culled due to the disease.

He said this after a working visit to the Farm Collection Centre in Kampung Bawah Gunung, Kampung Perak near Batu Kurau, Perak today.

Earlier this month, Perak JPV detected the spread of the disease among the farm's animals.

The disease had been reported to infect cattle and livestock in several countries including Bangladesh (July 2019), India (Aug 2019), China (Aug 2019), Bhutan (Oct 2020), Hong Kong (Nov 2020), Sri Lanka (Jan 2021) and most recently Thailand (April 2021).

--BERNAMA



TAG: MAFI, MAQIS, LSD, livestock, cattle, veterinary, disease, Perak