Hydatids

Press, Volume C, Issue 29527, 31 May 1961, Page 6

Hydatids

Sir.—lt is to be hoped that now we have a change of Government that it will either repeal the Hydatids Act, or put it on a sensible footing. The present control council appears to be doing all that is possible to spread the disease. Several mailbags of loose purgings have been sent to Dunedin through the oost. The bags had to be destroyed. This has distributed hvdatids infection from North Cape to Biuff. Formalin is used to disinfect the purgings, but according to Dr. I. W. Parnell, it is not satisfactory (“The Prees,” January 6. 19(ii>. He is trying to find something that will kill tapeworm eggs.—Yours, etc.. PRO BONO PUBLICO. May 22. 1961. EThe chief executive officer of the National Hydatids Council (Mr A. D. M. C< Laing) said: “(1) Hydatid eggs in any faecal samples are rendered harmless by the addition of formalin before samples are packed: <2) All faecal samples dispatched to the national testing station at Taieri are enclosed in special pottles which. in turn, are put into well-sealed containers: (3) Neither the National Council nor the Chief Postmaster at Dunedin, whom I telephoned on receipt of a copy of this letter, has received any complaints about the methods of handing the samples in the mail: (4) The correspondent does not fairly quote Dr. Parnell about formalin. Dr. Parnell in ‘The Press’ stated that he hoped to find something more satisfactory than formalin.”!