INCIDENCE OF HYDATIDS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23203, 14 December 1940, Page 10

INCIDENCE OF HYDATIDS

“NO DECREASE IN CANTERBURY ”

LAXITY BY FARMERS

ALLEGED ‘ln spite of afl education and publicity by the Department of Agriculture and the Health Department, the incidence of hydatids on Canterbury farms' has not decreased. Apparently

oblivious to the dangers, farmers in the province, where the incidence of the disease is probably higher than in any other part of New Zealand, are still doing little to prevent the spread of the disease.” This was stated yesterday by Mr E. E. Elphick, superintendent, of the livestock division of the Department of Agriculture, Christchurch, in an interview with “The Press.” “Farmers,” Mr Eiphick said, “are not doing much to assist the department either by dosing their dogs with the prescribed arecoline hydro-bromide or by dealing properly with offal. The result is that at present the percentage of sheep and lambs in Canterbury affected by hydatids is exceedingly high.” Considering the danger not only to animals, but to people, he added, the present laxity in taking simple precautions was “monstrous.” “The farmers do not even appear to show any appreciation of the economic aspect. Thousands and thousands of livers cannot be exported because of infection—and lamb livers at present are fetching a big price. The farmers cannot say they lack education on the subject. New Zealand has been toured by an expert time and time again, and the subject has been talked on, written on—even slides have been exhibited at every agricultural show. “If it came to a show-down to-mor-row and a man went round, say, 10 farms, and the farmers were truthful, I think those farms would disgorge tubes and tubes of the remedy which have never been used. •'There has to be a concerted movement by the farmers,, yet as things are now one farmer does his best and his neighbours do li,ttle or nothing. One farmer, for instance, has been dosing his dogs ever since the remedy was supplied and has never given his dpgs offal yet his sheep are still getting hydatids. His dogs are apparently gettin? raw offal from the neighbours properties and so spreading the infection.”