A DEADLY DISEASE

Evening Post, Issue 145, 22 December 1928, Page 7

A DEADLY DISEASE

: ♦ - ! "BEWARE OF THE DOG" ■Mr. CS..M, Hopkirk, B.V.Sc, officer in charge of Wallacevillo Laboratory, deals with hydatids in the current issue of the "Journal of Agriculture" Ho writes: "The mortality rate in humanbeings and tho economic loss from hyrlatid infestation of animals in New Zealand are still too high, and ittheroforo behoves the dog-owners of tho country to attempt to reduco tho parasitic infestation if not to eradicate it entirely. With consistent efforts hydatids could in timo be eradicated if every dog-owner carried out the necessary methods carefully and thoroughly." After describing tho biological aspect of tho disease Mr. Hopkirk says a number of surgical operations are performed annually in New Zealand for hydatids. Diagnosis is not difficult, and "unfortunately," ho writes, "a positive diagnosis moans surgical interference in man, tlie operation being a serious one," Ho shows why-this is so giving an authentic instance of a child of three who was operated on for hydatids as a result of fondlnig a sheepdog, contracting tho parasite when the child was two years of age. Sheep, pigs, and cattle ai'o the usual hosts of the disease, but horses, rabbits, and deer may suffer from it. Mr. Hopkirk remarks that "at the present time in New Zealand very few town-dwellers become affected, the disease being one which affects country residents mainly, This is because of tho system of meat inspection in force, both for home consumption and for export. Town meat in the larger centres is all inspected by trained men at the abattoirs, and no affected livers or lungs aro allowed to leave such abattoirs or freezing works to be sold. l'horeforo town dogs must live on meat free from infestation by hydatid cysts and aro unable to get tho opportunity of becoming infested." Town children are comparatively safe, but country children arc Hablo to take the diseaso from dogs fed on parts of diseased sheep. The writer shows how dangerous dogs as conveyors of tho disease may be, and he gives the following instructions for combating tho disease:—(l) Treat all country dogs medicinally at regular intervals; (2) do not give uncooked livers or lungs to dogs; (3) train children not to caress animals; (4) do not allow dogs to eat unknown carcasses—these should always be buried; (S) keep drovers' dogs under control at abattoirs or mofit-freozing works." Ho strongly condemns caressing of dogs by human beings, specially by children.