Survey shows most N.Z. farms affected

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33383, 15 November 1973, Page 11

Survey shows most N.Z. farms affected

The results of a major survey conducted throughout last spring, summer and autumn indicate that the vast majority of New Zealand farms have some degree of lungworm during that period.

In the most extensive sampling programme ever undertaken the .Agricultural Division of ICI New Zealand Limited examined lungs from nearly 9,000 lambs killed in Freezing Works last season. The lambs were drawn from almost 450 properties situated throughout New Zealand. Of these only 16.4% had no lungworm in their stock at time of sampling. In all, the survey suggested that 35.51% of all lambs killed last season had some lungworm. This was the national figure; the level of lungworm was somewhat higher

than this in the North Island and slightly lower in the South Island. The random sampling of Works killed lambs was taken from lines which represented a total of almost 100,000 animals. Another point that emerged very clearly from the survey is the fact that no area in New Zealand is free of lungworm. Surveys were conducted in all but a few of the country’s freezing works and sampling was strictly randomised by simply taking a lung off the line for inspection at predetermined and regular numeric intervals.

1972*73 National Lungworm Survey North Island South Island New Zealand Lungs inspected 2,793 6,064 8,857 Lungs infected 1,192 1,953 3,145 Lungs consolidated Total lambs in 1,400 3,063 4.463 sample lines Total farms 52,116? 40,796? 92,912? sampled No. of farms 249 196 444 lungworm free Percentage lungworm 39 34 73 free (farms) Percentage lungworm 15.6% 17.4% 16.4% (stock) 42.68% 32.21% 35.51% Percentage consolidation (stock) 50.12% 50.51% 50.39% TTIn a number of cases it was not possible to ascertain the number of lambs in the line from which the random sample was being taken.