MAD DOGS

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 38, 15 February 1919, Page 10

MAD DOGS

OUTBREAK OF RABIES IN

ENGLAND.

Twenty-two persons were recently tytten by infected dog» in tho course of an outbreak of wibies in Devon and Cornwall. Some or the patients were sent over to the' Pasteur Institute in Paris for treatment. There is no institution in England in which the Pasteur treatment can be administered, as Tables had long since been wiped out in the country. It is estimated that there are 77,000 dogs.in Devon and Cornwall.; Muzzling is iit force there, and in the event of the. disease spreading it may be necessary to extend it to" as many more. Muzzles are being made as fast as possible. Animals affected during the outbreak include a goose, a cow,, a pig, and a goat. \ Mr. Prothero, Minister of Agriculture, promised to inquire into the story that rabies was imported into Devon by # a British officer flying over from France with a lady's dog. . He_ added —replying to Sir Win. Bull's questions in Parliament—that the Board of Agriculture warned the Admiralty and the R.F.C. early in 1917 of this possible . ource of infection.

In all 40 cases of rabies had been confirmed since 7th September, '35 in Devon and five in Cornwall. Of theso 29 occurred in the country borough of Plymouth. He was satisfied that rabies had been in existence in these countries for several months, probably since the end of May, and the latest outbreak discovered was in the Wadebridge distrio. of Cornwall, sonio 30 miles from Plymouth.

Here the two dogs owned by an hotelkeeper had died of rabies. Visitors with dogs had been staying at this hotel, and seven dogs which had been in daily contact with the hotelkeeper's dogs had been taken to places Outside Devon and Cornwall. These had all been traced and isolated, but grave risk of the spread of- tho disease to other parts of the country had thus been inourred. "I desire to make' a strong appeal," added Mr. 'Prothero, "to »ll persons who have visited Devon and Cornwall with dogs during the last five months that they should" place their':doj»s.:with veterinary surgeons at once, and inform my Department of the fact. .1 regret to say that the appeaL for this information, issued to the press on 11th October, has only met with one response,

"Human life is at stake in this matter. At least 21 persons are known to have been bitten by these rabid dogs, nine being children, and any person who fails to assist by giving the information required will incur a very grave responsibility should the disease spread to other districts." ,

There have, so far, been no deaths of persons bitten by infeoted dogs.