Measures to further protect New Zealand’s economy from foot and mouth disease (FMD) continue, with a focus on strengthening our national biosecurity settings.

Biosecurity New Zealand is now 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. Other recent measures introduced to protect against FMD, include:

• A new wide-reaching awareness campaign targeting travellers before they travel to Indonesia, through in-flight announcements and on arrival at international airports.

• An on-the-ground audit of the palm kernel supply chain in Indonesia.

• Biosecurity New Zealand is launching an FMD Readiness Taskforce to ensure all our preparedness work is refreshed.

• Providing regular updates to primary sector partners and the country’s veterinary network and working with primary sector partners to ensure their farmers remain vigilant.

• Providing personal protective equipment, disinfectant, backpack sprayers and other tools to Indonesia to help on the ground, as well as our technical expertise.

We do not currently have any flights directly from Bali or elsewhere in Indonesia to New Zealand. Regardless of this, 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.

This means that should passengers transit other airports, risks are still addressed.

Anyone who has been in contact with livestock in Indonesia is strongly urged 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 with symptoms including high fever, mouth and feet blisters or erosions and lameness, should call their veterinarian or Biosecurity New Zealand’s exotic pest and disease hotline immediately (0800 80 99 66).

More information about FMD, signs and symptoms, and what you can do to stop it, is available on the Biosecurity New Zealand website here.