Terengganu authorities enforce quarantine to contain deadly livestock disease

New Straits Times

25-04-2025

HL: Terengganu authorities enforce quarantine to contain deadly livestock disease
By Baharom Bakar
KUALA TERENGGANU: A total of 25 livestock, primarily buffaloes, have died following an outbreak of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) in the Kuala Terengganu district since Monday.
State Committee on Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Food Security and Commodities chairman, Dr Azman Ibrahim, said that the outbreak was identified in Dusun Tembakau Village, Manir.
"In response, control and prevention measures have been implemented to contain the spread of the disease, including the issuance of quarantine notices under Section 18 of the Animals Act 1953. These notices were delivered to livestock owners yesterday," he said.
The State Department of Veterinary Services (JPV) has also issued official notifications prohibiting the movement of cattle and buffaloes in and out of the affected area.
"This movement restriction has been enforced to prevent the disease from spreading within a five-kilometre radius of the outbreak site," Azman added.
He said livestock owners are only permitted to transfer their animals to designated slaughterhouses - namely, the government-operated facility in Gong Badak, Kuala Nerus, and licensed private slaughterhouses in Tok Rimau Village, Kuala Terengganu.
The movement ban came into effect yesterday and will remain in place until further notice.
"Decontamination support has also been provided in the form of chlorine-lime drums to six affected farmers, to reduce the risk of further transmission," he said.
Azman added that last year, the state government, through JPV, administered 11,731 HS vaccinations. Of these, 342 were conducted in high flood-risk areas, including the districts of Setiu, Dungun and Kuala Nerus.