ERADICATION OF HYDATIDS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29384, 10 December 1960, Page 12

ERADICATION OF HYDATIDS

£lO,OOO Grant By Meat Board

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Dec. 9. The Meat Board has decided to make a grant of £lO.OOO to the National Hydatids Council to help in the eradictaion of hydatids.

Announcing this today the chairman of the board (Mr J. D. Ormond said: "The community service which the Hydatids Council is giving in its campaign against hydatids is of outstanding importance to everybody in this country. "First and foremost it is a human health problem. We have got to get rid of this scourge,” he said. “There is also an important economic problem. It is estimated that New Zealand loses the equivalent of £2 million of export earnings which could have been won from sheep livers.

“My board is much impressed with the progress of the work of the council and desires to make this contribution to its work. It was the last request of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Skinner) to us that the board give this stimulus to the campaign, and we are very happy to be able to do so.

“The steps taken under the methods employed by the council are already bringing apparent results.

“The campaign calls for the fullest support of all dog-owners both in the country and in the city. We must take all precautions in carcase and offal disposal and treatment so that dogs do not get access to raw offal. By denying- the dogs the chance to eat infected material we will stop them from spreading the disease either to ourselves or our stock. There must be no let up.”