Hydatids found in dog

Press, 10 January 1981, Page 7

Hydatids found in dog

PA ■ Hamilton Hydatids has been found in a Wai tom o dog, the first case detected in New Zealand in 18 months. But Hydatids Council officials said it appeared the case was isolated, because access to the farm where the infected dog was kept was over a river and this should stop the disease from spreading. Hydatids can cause death to humans and animals. The cycle begins when a dog eats raw offal or untreated meat which can carry a hydatids cyst. These cysts develop into tapeworms, segments of which are passed by the dog. The segments contain hydatid eggs, which, if swallowed by man or farm

animals, will develop into a Hydatids cyst. The only way to remove the cysts, which usually grow in the liver- or lungs,“is .by surgery. . .' - . ■ The senior field advisory officer for hydatids throughout New Zealand, Mr D. Kasper, described the isolated position of the farm the infected Waitomo dog is on as “pure luck.” Mr Kasper said he was very disappointed to learn of the dog with hydatids at Waitomo. “One breakdown like this may set us back two or three years in eradicating hydatids,” he said. The campaign against hydatids has been officially going for 21 years, but before that many people

worked voluntarily to prevent the disease. Mr Kasper said there was no penalty for a farmer who owned an infected dog, but the farmer had to pay for the treatment of the dog, and his stock would be suspected if he tried to sell them. According to Mr Kasper. about 27 per cent of adult stock in New Zealand have hydatids, but the number is falling. “It is possible to eradicate hydatids, but much more rigid attention needs to be paid to dog food,” he said. The hydatid control officer in the Waikato County, Mr H. Edwards said that much more care needed to be taken feeding dogs.