CONTROL OF HYDATIDS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28298, 8 June 1957, Page 12

CONTROL OF HYDATIDS

Need For Offal Disposal

The importance of boiling sheep offal before feeding it to dogs to kill the hydatids tape-worm, was emphasised by Dr. N. C. Begg, medical director of the Plunket Society, when he addressed members at the annual provincial conference of North Canterbury Federated Farmers yesterday.

Dr. Begg demonstrated to members a unit now being manufactured in the Dominion for the boiling of sheep offal. “We must not allow infested offal to get to the dog, because if this happens there is no hope of stopping the parasite, which should be 'hit before it can reproduce itself.” he said.

Iceland, which was the only country that had eradicated the disease, had been aware of the problem for 100 years. In 1863 every farming family in that country was told not to feed raw offal to dogs. Later, each community appointed a man to dose all dogs. In 1900 a law was passed forbidding farmers to kill sheep on their properties and all animals had to be sent to slaughterhouses.

“Although in detail this practice may not be suitable for this country, the logic of the attack on hydatids could be followed here,” he said. Disposal Necessary Offal disposal was necessary for sheep killed on a farm and for those that died naturally, and for this purpose a unit had been designed and was now being manufactured, said Dr. Begg. The machine, which is about the size and shape of an ordinary dust-bin, worked electrically or with rock gas. Offal, including liver, lungs, hearts, spleen and guts were placed in a basket and covered with water inside the machine. When the machine was switched on, the offal was brought to the boil and kept boiling for 30 minutes and then the machine switched itself off. It demanded little attention from the farmer and was quite safe.

What was also needed was some means of destroying offal and many methods had been devised by individual farmers, said Dr. Begg.

“If we attack this disease in the right spot and with an organisation such as yours we will be able to kill hydatids. A lot depends *on the individual enthusiasm of the farmer.” Dr. Begg introduced Mr M. Gemmell, who has been appointed director of the hydatids research unit at the Invermay Research Station. Urging farmers to cooperate in his work, Mr Gemmell said: “We cannot help you unless you help yourselves. Unless you stop feeding raw offal to your dogs, any drugs that we may develop will be useless.’’