DISEASES IN ANIMALS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29537, 12 June 1961, Page 15

DISEASES IN ANIMALS

Transmission To Humans

An address on diseases likely to be transmitted from animals to humans in New Zealand was given to members of the Balmoral women's institute by Mr A. N Bruere. a veterinary surgeon, in Culverden recently. Proper hygiene on the farms, and for other persons who kept pet animals, played a big part in eradicating these diseases, said Mr. Bruere. Farmers’ wives and women, generally, could have! a great influence over the! farmers and the children in; educating them into hygienic! habits. Men were careless creatures and probably carried more diseases into homes than they would like to be held responsible for, said Mr Bruere.; Women could overcome this by ensuring that there were adequate washing facilities at the back door; that contaminated footwear was changed i before the house was entered, and that men, handling sheep! and other animals, wore over-! alls which should be removed before entering the house. Dog Dirtiest Animal Domestic animals were a potential source of danger to | adults and children if not properly respected, said Mr Bruere. Contrary to common belief, the dog was the filthiest of domestic animals with filthy habits, and special, attention must be given toi them. When visiting farms he had noticed that dogs were often tied close to the house on the north-west side—on the same spot for years—and often the dust, laden with hydatid germs, was being blown on to vegetables growing nearby, on to washing on the line, or into the houses. While the hydatid campaign was doing a great deal to improve these conditions, hydatids could never be eradicated unless the dog owners played their part with good kennel hygiene. A good system was to have the kennels on concrete which could be washed and disinfected, with waste matter channelled into a septic tank or other suitable disposal pit. Dogs should be properly fed with from one and a half to two pounds of meat each night, instead of being left to scavenge for their food. A dog’s hair could also be -ontaminated with gas gangrene organisms, and ringworm spores The urine ?ould be a reservoir for a j highly fatal disease called j leptospirosis, usually passed: from cats to dogs. Young j -hildren should be taught not, to fondle or handle dogs or, ■ats or any other animal until ; they were old enough to realise their danger and should be made to wash their hands : if they did so. Dangers From Dairy Cows : The innocent looking dairy -ow was another source of some of the most vicious liseases that medicine had, ' ittle answer for, such as ■ tetanus (from dung and dirt).! salmonellosis from milk (an acute bowel infection, pos-; sibly fatal), and brucellosis,! from milk (undulant fever)J The city dweller was protected from these diseases by pasteurisation. compulsory testing of herds, etc., but the farm that depended on one or two dairy cows should boil the milk, especially from aborting cows until they could be tested Five per cent of all tuberculosis and bone disease was the bovine type, mainly in children, contracted from cow's milk, Mr Bruere said. “It would appear that in some respects we are merely on the fringe of investigation into diseases that animals can transmit and close association between human and l animal disease is constantly ■ under investigation," said Mr Bruere.