Asia Greatest Foot And Mouth Threat To NZ
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealanders need to think about Asia as being the most likely source of any foot and mouth disease (FMD) rather than Britain, says Massey University's Roger Morris, an authority on the disease."People who have been on a farm in Britain will be worried about the possible transmission of FMD, while someone who has been in the jungle in Asia is less concerned."
Massey University's Roger Morris
He is the director of the EpiCentre, which tracks disease outbreaks all round the world.
Professor Morris says, "People who have been on a farm in Britain will be worried about the possible transmission of FMD, while someone who has been in the jungle in Asia is less concerned."
It should be the other way round.
New Zealand is unlikely to get the disease following the small recent outbreak of FMD in Britain, while FMD is endemic in the mainland of Asia.
"All China is infected, which it now admits, but didn't before. Right down through South East Asia. Thailand and Vietnam are having big outbreaks at the moment. It is in India and Pakistan."
Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia are free of the disease, Prof Morris says.
There is a small risk of the virus coming to New Zealand on clothes. The shoes issue is a bit overstated, and while New Zealand does need precautions, most of the risk is from bringing in uncooked meat products he says.
"The traditional thinking is of salami, but actually Asians don't make salami.
Actually there are a huge range of uncooked meat products in Asia. Most of them, we wouldn't even be aware of here."