Thousands of Indonesian cows will be safe from the worst effects of lumpy skin disease thanks to Australia's immunisation efforts.
The government sent its final and one-millionth vaccination dose to its northern neighbour in December as part of continuing efforts to prevent the lumpy skin and foot-and-mouth diseases from reaching Australia.
Both are considered serious biosecurity threats that could hurt the local cattle industry, whose beef exports are forecast to be worth more than $10 billion this financial year.
Australia is free from lumpy skin disease and has never experienced an outbreak, but Agriculture Minister Murray Waitt says the government should do everything it can to support Indonesia's containment efforts.
"It’s important that we work together with our neighbours to get this disease under control, while also taking steps to make sure we keep Australia safe and LSD-free," he said.
Spread by mosquitoes, biting flies and ticks, lumpy skin disease produces blisters on the bodies of infected animals and reduces milk production.
It poses no risk to humans and cannot be transmitted to people by consuming infected meat.
In August, Indonesia stopped importing cattle from four Australian facilities after authorities found a small number of animals had been detected with lumpy skin disease.
But this suspension was lifted in September after Australia was declared safe from the disease.
