Miyazaki crisis almost over
(From The Japan Times July 31 issue)

宮崎の口蹄疫終息へ

The Miyazaki Prefectural Government on July 27 lifted its last ban on the shipment of livestock. This is a sign that the foot-and-mouth disease crisis in the prefecture, which lasted more than three months, is nearing an end. But it must be kept in mind that the eradication of viruses that cause foot-and-mouth disease has not yet been confirmed.

It only is confirmed that there are no more new cases of foot-and-mouth disease. There is the possibility that viruses remain in animal waste on livestock farms and in other substances. To prevent their spread thorough disinfection must be carried out.

The prefectural government is visually inspecting all livestock in the prefecture — some 940,000 animals. It plans to officially declare an end to the foot and mouth disease crisis Aug. 27, when the treatment and disposal of animal waste on livestock farms is completed.

The first case of foot-and-mouth disease in the latest crisis was detected April 20. By July 4 the disease had spread to 292 livestock farms. Shipment and movement of livestock was prohibited within a 20-km radius of affected farms. Some 290,000 cattle and pigs were destroyed.

The central government's manual to cope with foot-and-mouth disease, based on the experience of a more minor outbreak crisis in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2000, did not work. It will be important for the central and prefectural governments to study the latest crisis closely, and determine the route that allowed the disease to spread so widely.

In Britain, some 6.45 million livestock animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease were destroyed in 2001. A 1997 outbreak devastated Taiwan's livestock industry. Japan must remain on guard to prevent another outbreak (even humans can carry the virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease). In addition, farmers affected by the latest crisis should be given sufficient public support to allow them to restart their livestock businesses.

宮崎県は家畜移動制限を解除、3ヵ月にわたる口蹄疫感染被害は終息に向かっている。しかしウイルスの根絶が確認されたわけではない。

新たな口蹄疫の発症は見られないが、ウイルスが家畜の排泄物などに残っている可能性もあり、拡大防止のための消毒が必要だ。

県は全頭目視検査を始め、感染家畜のふん尿処理が終わる27日にも終息宣言を出す方針だ。

2000年の発生時の経験に基づいた政府の口蹄疫対策マニュアルは役立たなかった。政府と地方自治体はこのことに学び、感染拡大にいたったルートを見つけ出す必要がある。

英国では2001年に645万頭の家畜が感染し殺処分、1997年の台湾での感染は畜産業に打撃を与えた。日本は油断せず新たな拡大を防がねばならない。さらに、今回被害にあった畜産農家の再生を十分に支援していくべきだ。