HYDATIDS RISK TO INSPECTORS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30144, 30 May 1963, Page 16

HYDATIDS RISK TO INSPECTORS

Longer Insurance Wanted After an announcement by the National Hydatids Council that the chemical formaline —used by hydatids inspectors for protection against infection—was not always reliable, the Banks Peninsula Hydatids Committee will ask the council to consider extending the present scheme of insurance which covers inspectors against infection up to two years after they terminate employment with the council.

“I previously believed formaline gave me complete protection,” said Mr R. H. McQueen, inspector for Banks Peninsula at a meeting of the committee. Hydatids could remain dormant in the body and manifest itself up to 10 years later, he said. The present insurance giving cover only up to two years was therefore inadequate, said Mr McQueen. Frequency Of Dosing A suggestion that dosing be relaxed for dogs which had consistently proved clean during the three years of the hydatids dosing scheme was not accepted by the committee. The chairman (Mr H. St. J McKay) said he thought the time had come when the committee could provide more incentive to farmers to protect their dogs by reducing the dosing rate for dogs which had always been clean. He recommended annual dosing instead of the present rate of three times a year. Some animals, since the scheme began three years ago, had been treated jiine times, and had never shown signs of infection, Mr McKay said. Mr C. E. Jenkins said the idea of providing an incentive to those who properly cared for their dogs was a good one, but he thought the scheme should be better established before such a concession was given.

“We can’t afford to relax now,” said Mr McQueen. Out of 1000 dogs recently tested only four had hydatids. These were the best results to date and it was most encouraging to see such definite results for the years of work. Dogs could be tested and found clean many times and suddenly become infected, he said. If annual dosing was allowed for clean animals some could contract hydatids within 12 months, and could spread infection over a large area before their condition was discovered at .the end of the year, said Mr McQueen.

The committee will continue dosing all dogs three times a year.