Hydatids Testing Twice Yearly As Trial

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31123, 28 July 1966, Page 21

Hydatids Testing Twice Yearly As Trial

With only one case of true 1 hydatids recorded from 1758 ' dogs tested in the latest round, the Banks Peninsula Hydatid Control Committee has decided to introduce a trial of twice-a-year testing instead of the usual three times a year. The committee's secretary (Mr W. F. Aydon) said yes- ; terday that on sufficient indi- - cation that the incidence of hydatids was rising, the thrice-yearly testing would be resumed. “The committee felt that,i as a low incidence of hydatidsl has been recorded in the last! two rounds of tests, it would be justified in going on to, twice-a-year testing,” he said. * “This will free the inspector - (Mr R. McCreanor) for more visits to farms, and will I allow him to concentrate on areas where hydatids has■ been occurring.

“The big proviso is that the moment we see things getting out of hand, it will be back to dosing three times a year.”; The committee covers the, counties of Akaroa, Wairewa,, Mount Herbert, Heathcote and ( jHalswell, and Lyttelton! borough. In tests of the 1758 dogs in ■ the last complete round, said Mr McCreanor, there had been one case of true hydatids and 20 of false hydatids. The true hydatids test came from a farm dog at Okains Bay. Farmers were to be coni gratulated on the reduction in ; hydatids incidence. In 1960, a complete round showed 105 cases of true and 460 of false , hydatids. The committee has approved the use of the new drug, bunamidine hydro- | chloride, permitted by the Hydatids Council for retests, and has sought authority to buy stocks.