Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), commonly known as Penyakit Mulut dan Kuku (PMK), has recently resurfaced as a concerning infectious disease. FMD is classified as a strategic contagious animal disease (PHMS).
To prevent an FMD outbreak, four students from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya (FKH UB) – Miftahul Jannah (2022), Natania Alandra Widjaja (2022), Mikayla Raffaneisha (2023), and Nadia Nasywa Amanda (2023) – participated in an independent internship at the Baturraden Centre for Superior Livestock Breeding and Animal Feed (BBPTUHPT Baturraden), Ministry of Agriculture. This programme was conducted under the guidance of Dr. drh. Mira Fatmawati, M.Si.
The internship took place from 6 to 13 January 2025, aiming to equip students with early career skills and hands-on experience. BBPTUHPT Baturraden, led by Ir. Dani Kusworo, S.Pt, M.Si, is the largest government-owned dairy cattle breeding institution in Indonesia, making it an ideal learning platform for students to apply their academic knowledge in a real-world setting.
The internship covered key aspects such as feed nutrition, housing design and sanitation, livestock management, vaccination and treatment programmes, superior breed selection, milk production and quality testing, and livestock reproduction. The most memorable experience was their participation in the FMD booster vaccination programme, which is conducted every six months.
“Here, we learned firsthand about livestock management and animal health. Beforehand, we received guidance from Drh. Mira, and on-site, we were assisted by Drh. Endah, Drh. Hendri, Drh. Heni, Drh. Ifa, Drh. Yuli, along with several paramedics, office staff, and farm workers. It was a new experience in the FMD vaccination programme, as we were directly involved in vaccinating hundreds of dairy cattle at the Tegalsari Farm,” they shared.
This initiative serves as a stepping stone in shaping veterinary students’ practical skills while also playing a role in preventing the spread of infectious animal diseases. Furthermore, the programme aims to foster strong collaborations with veterinary institutions for future advancements in the field.
