STRANGLES AND INFLUENZA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 8

STRANGLES AND INFLUENZA.

VIEW OF THE CHIEF VETERINARIAN. Much comment, says Mr. C. .T. Bejikes, Director of the Live "Stock Division of tho Agricultural Department, in tho Department's Journal, lias been made in Australia upon the alleged prevalence of strangics and influenza among horses imported from New Zealand. The question was ventilated at a farmers' convention held in Victoria in Julv, and on this coming to Mr. Keakes's knowledge lie at o:ice cabled to tho Director of Agriculture in Victoria for information on tho point. .Ho replied to the cffcct that the diseases complained of wera influenza and strangles, with an unusual proportion of complications in the form of pneumonia; and, in the ease of mares, of abortion. Though these diseases are not scheduled in either the New Zealand or Australian Acts,, tho inspectors at our ports, says Mr. Reakes, have dono their best to prevent openly affected horses from being snipped. The difficulty, however, lies in the fact that horses "may go on l>card shin with one or other of these diseases affecting them only in tho stage of incubation, when no distinct outward symptoms are observable. Tho disease develops during the voyage, and before port is reached has spread to others. The conditions under which horses have to bo carried on board intercolonial boats are unavoidably favourable to the spread of contagious diseases such as. these, seeing that any number of horses cannot be carried on deck, and consequently liavo to be housed below. The steamship companies are doing their best in the matter by arranging for the disinfection, each voyage, of the holds used for carrying horses; and it is hoped that shippers will co-operato with port inspectors in doing their best to insuro that no affected horses aro sent to our ports for shipment. It must be remembered that cases of strangles and influenza, which, under f:4rm conditions, would be only of a mild nature, may quite well become severe and complicated with pneumonia when the animal is kept for some days with many others in a ship's hold, under, in rough weather especially, necessarily adverse conditions as regards the provision of ample ventilation. Neither strangles nor influenza cause really serious trouble in this country; the first-named is certainly prevalent, but usually in only a mild form, 'thanks to the healthy outdoor life led by our young horses; and outbreaks of true influenza aro infrequent, and then usually only among horses kept in tho larger cities.