Eczema Outbreak Aids Research

Press, Issue 30997, 1 March 1966, Page 18

Eczema Outbreak Aids Research

While Agriculture Department officers are maintaining a close check on a facial eczema outbreak in Northland, two scientists working at the Ruakura Agriculture Research Centre have said an outbreak this season will help in finding a reliable preventive for the disease.

The scientists, Messrs M. Woolford and A. G. Campbell, say the competition of other fungi with the facial eczema fungus for the available feed supply is why facial eczema usually does not appear until late in the season. They say this is when facial eczema fungus spores become dominant and conditions then become suitable for an outbreak. Spore counts in both Auckland and Northland pastures are well above danger level at present. One difficulty of the Rua-

kura research has been the departure of several scientists overseas. A facial eczema team that was together for some time, Messrs D. Smith, W. Crawley and T. Lees, has gone overseas within the last two years. However, Mr Crawley will return to Ruakura. The distastrous facial eczema outbreak in 1938 was the main reason for the establishment of the research station at Ruakura. Research is also being done in other centres.

In some recent seasons, research has been hampered because conditions have not been right even for a minor outbreak of the disease.