Page 22 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21646, 3 December 1935, Page 22

ANIMAL DISEASES. (Extract from "North British Agriculturist and Farming News," 17th Oct, 1935.) TN one way or another animal diseases continue to claim a heavy toll of our live stdck population. This onecangather from a careiul perusal of the report of the proceedings under the Diseases of Animals Act for last year, just Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Take foot-and-mouth disease, for example. There were 79 outbreaks in 1934, these involving the slaughter of 2724 cattle, 5173 sheep, 2378 pigs, and 27 goats, for which a total sum of £63,367 5s 6d was paid by the Government. And ihe disappointing feature of the situation is that from this report one can gather very little—practically nothing —to show how these outbreaks arose. There aire suggestions of swill from hotels as a first instance cause of the disease breaking out, and of ground game, birds, and winds, as possible carriers of infection from one disease centre to another, but so far as this report is concerned one obtains nothing suggestive of anything really practical having been yet achieved in the way of grappling definitely with what has become an ever-recurring menace. We are assured, however, that much additional knowledge has been gained by the Research Committee who are about to issue a fifth Progress Report. In this connnexion it is stated that the present and future programme of the Committee's work is and will be concentrated mainly upon problems of immunity, which is a particularly difficult subject, complicated by the fact that there are three different types of virus, and immunity against one type does not secure immunity against the other two.

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Swine fever is another of the worrying diseases prejudicially affecting the live stock population of the country. In this case 1833 outbreaks were confirmed last year. These were distributed as follows: —England, 1696 (an increase of 448 outbreaks): Scotland. 26 (an increase of 4 outbreaks); and Wales, 111 (a decrease of 33 outbreaks). As the average annual number of outbreaks -in-the; preceding five years was 2077, it is claimed that the 1834 figure indicated that last year was hot one of unusual prevalence of swine fever. It has to be remembered that the pig owner stands to lose heavily when an outbreak of swine fever conies his way beqause the power to slaughter is only exercised to the extent of establishing the diagnosis in cases where that is necessary, and no slaughter no compensation. It is stated in this connexion that the number of swine slaughtered by order of the Ministry last year was 3355, compensation being paid to the amount of £ 2716. When it is noted that the aggregate losses in pigs which died or were destroyed on account of swine fever in 1934 amount to 37 per cent, of the pigs on infected premises, it will be gathered that the loss falling upon owners was very considerable. I "At a meeting of the Provin!cial Council of Canterbury,, says an early publication which was opened on September "27; .1853; his Honour, the Superintendent, in his opening speech, drew attention to the great progress the pro- | vince had made. Not three years had elapsed since the landing of the and yet 3400 acres were under crop, 7500 acres fenced, while it owned 100,000 sheep, 4000 cattle, and 400 horses. Within the Canterbury. block: one million ..acres had been taken up for pasturage purposes, yielding £2400 a year. The property in the province was roughly estimated at half a" m illion sterling. The customs duties for the year ending ; June;; 1853, were £3894, the-im-ports £54,715, and the exports of -produce (including wool £8290), £ 13,000. The vessels entering the [/"port ili the same period num- | bered: 68, representing" 11,864 tons." .■■■:: A disquieting feature of this report Is that sheep scab showed a substantial increase last year. There were 684 outbreaks or a further increase of 106 or 18.4 per cent., on the figure of 578 for 1933, and an increase of 323 or 89.47 per cent, on the figure of 361. for 1932. Wales alone showed a decrease on this occasion. England, on the other hand, showed an increase of 89, and Scotland, with a total of 62 cases, an increase of 30. So far as dealings with this affection is concerned the double dipping campaign, of course, continues to be operated, but it is complained, in the report, that the most unfavourable factor in the situation is the continued neglect of many sheep owners to report suspected cases. _Of the 62 outbreaks in Scotland during last year, six counties were involved, and 52 cases occurred in the Outer Hebrides, and 10 on the mainland. Anthrax would also seem to be on the increase, there having been 395 confirmed cases as compared with 297 in 1933, England showing an increase of 57, and Scotland an increase of 43. Again, the incidence of bovine tuberculosis continues a very serious matter. The disease was reported to exist in 24.512 premises in Great Britain as compared with 23,608 premises in the previous year. The report points out, however, that this should not be regarded necessarily as evidence that the incidence of tuberculosis among bovine animals has increased, but that a larger number of animals are being detected owing to the greater activity on the part of the local authorities under the , • Milk and Dairies Acts. In any case, the | returns reveal an increase of 40 per ■ centt in the last five years in the number of, animals found affected within me.,terms of the order, and the number .:.■«£ animals -slaughtered by local auth--was t 22,009, as,compared with iand CO.;