FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26800, 4 August 1952, Page 6

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

Precautions “Quite Effective” WARNING AGAINST RELAXATION (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. August 3. The present measures to prevent the entry of toot-and-moutn disease to New Zealand were quite effective, but on no account could they be relaxed, said Mr J. E. Mcllwaine, Director oi the Livestock Division of the Department of Agriculture, on his return by ah’ to-night from a three* months’ study of the disease in other countries. Mr Mcllwaine said he had been able to secure firsthand knowledge of methods of identification, treatment, and eradication of . the disease. He could assure farmers that, with the present precautions, together with the decline of the heavy infection in Britain and Europe, foot-and-mouth disease should be kept out of New Zealand. The recent outbreak in Canada had now been eradicated as the result of the adoption of a slaughter policy, Mr Mcllwaine said. The wisdom of the slaughter policy was often questioned, particularly when an outbreak occurred in Britain. Resort to vaccination against the disease was often advocated. but many persons were not yet satisfied that vaccination was 100 per cent, effective. The slaughter policy was consequently adopted in countries where foot-and-mouth disease occurred for the first time, and in island countries, such as Britain. There were two main reasons for this, said Mr Mcllwaine. The slaughter of infected animals was cheaper than the vaccination, of the entire healthy livestock population, and it ensured that the disease was eradicated completely. The latter reason was important to Britain, which was the stud stock farm for the world. Mr Mcllwaine said an educational campaign among veterinarians and the farming community would bcrlaunched soon, with the object of making all persons connected with the livestock industry fully conversant with the symptoms and nature of foot-and-mouth disease. The speedy diagnosis and eradication of the disease depended on co-opera-tion by farmers, veterinarians, and the Department of Agriculture, he said.