口蹄疫拡大 迅速で着実な防疫策がカギだ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 14, 2010)
Swift, steady action key to halt foot-and-mouth
口蹄疫拡大　迅速で着実な防疫策がカギだ（6月13日付・読売社説）

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture has spread further from its origin and could expand to the entire prefecture.
　宮崎県で発生した家畜の伝染病、口蹄疫(こうていえき)が県内全域に広がりかねない情勢となっている。

New infections have been confirmed in cities including Miyakonojo, which is located about 50 kilometers from the epidemic's locus in the eastern part of the prefecture.
　震源地の県東部から約５０キロ離れた都城市などで新たな感染が確認された。

The epidemic now has reached a crucial juncture--whether the disease will spread outside the prefecture. Prime Minister Naoto Kan visited the prefecture Saturday and pledged the government would take all possible steps to support affected livestock farmers. The central and prefectural governments must strengthen epidemic prevention measures and do all they can to contain the disease.
　県外に感染が拡大するかどうかの瀬戸際である。菅首相は現地入りし、被害畜産農家の支援に万全を期す方針を示した。国と県は改めて防疫体制を強化し、封じ込めに全力を挙げねばならない。

The central and prefectural governments have been trying to prevent further infection by slaughtering and burying cows and pigs on disease-affected livestock farms, as well as by restricting movement and transfer of the livestock in the vicinity.
　これまで国と県は、口蹄疫が発生した農場の牛や豚を殺して埋める処分に加え、周辺地域の家畜の移動や搬出を制限する感染防止策を取ってきた。

At farms within a 10-kilometer radius of major outbreak locations, livestock that have not been infected with the disease are being vaccinated to prevent the virus from spreading and then culled.
　主要な発生地から半径１０キロ圏内は、未感染の家畜にもワクチンを接種してウイルスの発生を抑え、処分する対策も進めている。

However, infections have been confirmed on farms far from the locations of the disease's initial outbreak about 50 days ago. It must be asked whether there has been any lapse in preventative measures against the disease's spread since then.
　しかし、これまでの多発地区から遠い地域に感染が飛び火した。発生から５０日あまりが経過し、防疫措置に緩みはなかったか。

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Minimize infections' impact

What is now necessary is to minimize damage to areas where new infections have been detected.
　今必要なのは、新たに感染が見つかった地域の被害を最小限に食い止めることだ。

The city of Ebino in the prefecture successfully contained the disease by slaughtering livestock immediately after infections were confirmed. Learning from its example, the Miyakonojo city government began culling livestock after informing the central government of certain animals' symptoms through photos, without waiting for results of genetic tests conducted by the central government. Such swift responses are necessary to deal with the disease from now on.
　えびの市は、農場で感染が確認された直後に家畜を処分し、封じ込めに成功した。その教訓を生かし、都城市は国による遺伝子検査を待たず、家畜の症例を写真で報告して処分に踏み切った。今後もこうした迅速な対応が必要だ。

One of the reasons for the spread of infections seems to be the fact that the cull of cows and pigs has not been conducted smoothly because it is difficult to find people to slaughter the livestock and places to bury the animals. It is possible the virus might have spread from these livestock. Slaughter of the remaining 30,000 cows must be sped up.
　感染が拡大した一因と見られるのは、埋める土地や人の手当てがつかず、処分に手間取っている牛や豚の存在だ。これらからウイルスがまき散らされた可能性がある。残されている３万頭の処分を急がねばならない。

A special law on foot-and-mouth disease that took effect June 4 allows the central government to slaughter healthy livestock without farmers' consent if necessary. The legislation aims to prevent new infections by creating a livestock-free "blank area" where animals are culled.
　４日に施行された口蹄疫対策特別措置法では、農家の同意がなくても国が健康な家畜を殺処分できるようになった。予防的に家畜を処分して空白地帯を作り、感染を防ごうという狙いだ。

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry does not plan to apply this law in areas where new infections have been confirmed. However, if infections do expand, it is inevitable that this measure would be taken.
　農林水産省は、今回新たな感染が確認された地域では適用しない方針だが、感染が拡大するようであれば、こうした措置を取ることもやむを得ないだろう。

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Find out how disease spread

Also, it is an urgent task to find out why foot-and-mouth disease has spread. One theory holds that people and vehicles that visit livestock farms have slipped through designated sterilization points. Others noted the possibility soil with the virus was carried by the wind. The government should strengthen field studies by epidemic prevention experts.
　拡大の原因解明も急務だ。畜産施設を行き来する人や車などが消毒地点をすり抜けたとの説や、土壌に付着したウイルスが風で運ばれた可能性などが指摘される。防疫専門家による現地調査を強化すべきではないか。

Miyakonojo produces some of the best livestock in the country. Neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture is well known for its Berkshire pigs and black cattle. The spread of the disease to Kagoshima Prefecture would immensely impact the country's livestock industry as well as adversely affect people's diets.
　都城市は全国屈指の畜産都市であり、隣接する鹿児島県も黒豚や黒牛で知られる。感染が広がれば日本の畜産業への打撃は計り知れず、国民の食生活にも影響が出よう。

We hope the Kan Cabinet will place top priority on tackling foot-and-mouth disease.
菅内閣は口蹄疫問題に最優先で取り組んでもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun,June 13, 2010)
（2010年6月13日01時14分 読売新聞）