New Zealand is ramping up efforts to stop foot-and-mouth disease-contaminated pork products making their way into the country, after a scare in Australia.
Australian officials said on Wednesday the devastating foot-and-mouth disease – which could decimate its livestock industry – had been detected in meat products coming into Australia from both Indonesia and China.
If one positive case of foot-and-mouth were detected on an Australian farm it could shut the A$27 billion (NZ$29b) livestock export trade down for months, or even years.
But Biosecurity NZ deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said they had spoken directly to their Australian counterparts, who confirmed no live foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMD) has been found on food there.
READ MORE:
* Foot and mouth disease detected in meat products in Australia
* NZ has to do everything it can to keep out foot and mouth disease
* New Zealand farms on alert for foot and mouth disease
“Australian officials said today viral fragments had been found on some pork product. They have told us that what was found in the food was not live virus, but a trace viral fragment.”
Viral fragments were not infectious and could not transfer live virus to another animal, he said, and it was not unusual to find non-infectious viral fragments in food.
The product was an imported dried “pork floss” product which may have been illegally brought into Australia, and was being recalled as a precaution for that reason.
Anderson said any illegal products found in New Zealand would be destroyed.
Foot-and-mouth disease infects domesticated farm species such as pigs, cattle and sheep, as well as feral species, including camels, pigs, goats and deer (file photo).
“There’s no indication that there is a heightened risk to New Zealand. We have among the strictest import health standards and biosecurity settings in the world for pork and other meat products coming into New Zealand.”
Pork floss can be legally imported to countries like New Zealand and Australia if it followed strict import health standards, such as the use of heat treatment, he said.
“As an extra precaution Biosecurity New Zealand will undertake market surveillance to double-check product available here is legally imported.”
Anderson said travellers to New Zealand were not allowed to bring in uncooked meat products, and since FMD had been discovered in Indonesia – Biosecurity NZ had stepped up its work at the border.
“Every passenger arrival card is examined and those from countries that have FMD, including Indonesia, are directed to a different process of questioning, baggage search and disinfection.
“All mail products that come into New Zealand from Indonesia are x-rayed and checked by dogs. We risk assess, and our quarantine officers are checking all cargo containers coming from Indonesia.”
Anderson said they were committed to constantly reassessing their biosecurity settings with regards to FMD.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor (file photo).
Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said from this week, Biosecurity NZ will begin using foot mats with disinfecting chemicals for arrivals from Indonesia to step onto in a trial to help ensure their footwear is clean of the virus – adding another layer of protection to the measures introduced last week.
“With FMD recently found in the tourist hotspot of Bali, we’ve taken concrete steps to boost our work at the border in recent weeks including a public awareness campaign.
“I call on everyone to be vigilant in playing their part to protect New Zealand’s economic security.”
Other recent measures to protect against FMD included a new awareness campaign for travellers heading to Indonesia, providing PPE, disinfectant and tools to help Indonesia on the ground, and launching and “FMD Readiness Taskforce” in New Zealand.
“The Government has made significant biosecurity investments in recent years, this includes $110.9 million in Budget 2022, of which $21.2 million is to boost critical diagnostic, surveillance and investigative capability, and heightened readiness for foot-and-mouth and other high-impact animal diseases.”
Staff were giving him regular updates on the situation, he said.
”We also strongly urge anyone who was in contact with livestock in Indonesia, to stay away from farms and animals in New Zealand for one week.”
If anyone sees their pigs, goats, alpacas, llamas, cattle, sheep or deer display symptoms, including high fever, mouth and feet blisters, or erosions and lameness, they should call their vet or MPI’s exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said it had also increased its surveillance and testing of meat and other animal products – both at the border and through targeted checking of retail outlets.
Some pork products had been removed from supermarket shelves after viral fragments of both FMD and African swine fever (ASF) were detected during testing,
The find does not change Australia’s disease-free status for FMD and ASF, they said, and there was no threat to human health from those diseases.
التعليقات