Selenium Used To Control White Muscle In Lambs

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 12

Selenium Used To Control White Muscle In Lambs

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, February 15. Promising results from the use of selenium in the control of white muscle disease of lambs, which causes considerable losses in many South Island areas, have been obtained by research workers at the Department of Agriculture’s Wallaceville station. Announcing this today, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr| Skinner) said this would be most cheering news to many farmers in the south, who regarded the disease as a serious threat.

However, as selenium was very poisonous, except in trace amounts, it might be some time before means could be devised for administering it in effective, yet safe, doses. Nevertheless, it was most heartening that scientists had again “broken through” in investigation of a long-standing and serious livestock health probem, he said. Their success came on the heels of another great advancement—the identification, last year, of the cause of facial eczema in stock.

An interesting side-effect of the use of selenium in experiments had been that, in addition to the prevention of white muscle dis-

ease, it produced some improvement in lamb growth. > This strengthened the evidence from investigations of other workers in New Zealand and overseas that selenium may prove to be one of the essential trace elements. Losses in the South Island from white muscle disease last season had been quite serious. In addition to the deaths which commonly occurred in lambs between three and six weeks of age, there had been numerous deaths in newly-born lambs. For some years vitamin E had been administered to counter white muscle disease and had had some effect. Selenium, in the trials, had given almost complete control. Mr Skinner cautioned farmers Ah at a good deal more laboratory and field investigation would be required before selenium dosing could come into general farming practice in the affected areas. There were undoubtedly hazards to sheep, and possibly to humans, from overdoses of selenium. The department recommended that in the meantime, farmers and veterinarians should continue to treat white muscle disease with vitamin E.