A livestock disease that would devastate Australia’s livestock industry and rural communities has been detected in Bali, the closest it has ever come to Australia, and the government has warned an outbreak here could cost the economy up to $80 billion.
The highly contagious foot and mouth disease spread through Indonesia to the holiday island, the federal Agriculture Department confirmed on Tuesday, prompting urgent warnings for travellers in a desperate attempt to stop them from bringing the livestock disease home with them.
The disease spreads among livestock either as an airborne disease or through contaminated feed, faeces and even clothing. It does not infect humans but a visitor to Bali who goes near a farm animal could bring the disease home on their clothes or shoes.
Frontline biosecurity officers are inspecting flights from the island, the department confirmed.
“Australia has strict biosecurity protocols in place to prevent high-risk materials, such as contaminated equipment or clothing, animals and animal products, being brought in by travellers who may have been exposed to diseased animals,” the department said in a statement.
An outbreak of the disease, which causes painful lesions on cloven-hoofed animals including sheep, cattle, pigs and goats would wreak a devastating toll on farmers, not least because infected animals are destroyed to halt the spread of the infection.
