Foot and mouth disease detected in Australia
Foot and mouth disease has been detected in Australia after warnings an outbreak could deliver an $80 billion blow to the economy.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said today an undeclared beef product detected at an Australian airport had been found to contain the devastating disease.
The passenger with the beef product had been coming from Indonesia.
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Foot and mouth disease is a contagious virus with severe consequences for animal health and trade. Nine / Christopher Lorrimer
Pork products imported from China, for sale in the Melbourne CBD, also contained the disease, along with African swine fever.
"At one level, these detections are very disturbing. That we see the viral fragments, not live virus but viral fragments, coming in via product," Watt said.
"At another level, these detections show that our borders are strong and our bio security systems are working."
Watt said Australia still remained free of both foot and mouth disease, and African swine fever.
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Agriculture Minister Murray Watt confirmed the virus had been detected in Australia. Nine
"That is because we seized those products, tested them, and it turned out they did have those viral fragments in them," he said.
"I am advised that all products, now, of this kind have been seized from all linked supermarkets and a warehouse in Melbourne as well."
Foot and mouth disease does not affect humans, but could have a devastating effect on Australia's agricultural industry.
An outbreak in Indonesia in recent months has been the focus of attention from Australian authorities.
There have been warnings of an $80 billion hit to the Australian economy if the disease runs rampant through the country, including a wipeout of the cattle industry.
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Australia's cattle industry could potentially be wiped out by the disease. Supplied
Watt announced "complementary" initiatives today, announcing that sanitised foot mats would be deployed to all international airports in Australia, to service flights from Bali.
Darwin and Cairns will be the first airports to benefit from the equipment.
Australia has already begun working towards 100 per cent security screenings for passengers entering from Indonesia, as well as investing millions to help Indonesian officials combat the disease on home soil.
Watt is also set to meet with state agricultural ministers this afternoon to discuss further measurers.
People have already been advised to at the very least make sure their footwear on Indonesia-Australia flights are stringently cleaned, or disposed of before arriving in Australia.
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