HEALTH NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 July 1927, Page 8

HEALTH NOTES.

♦ HYDALID DISEASE. Pit EC A UTKINS AOAINST SPREAD. (Contributed bv the Department pi' Health). Hydatid is an infcetiou.s dihcaso, and persons ol any age may nufier from it. Through the neglect oi precautions against disease many persons become infected, and suiter from serious illness, which is sometimes fatal. The disease is caused through man or other animals swallowing the eggs of a tape-worm, which lives in the intestine of the dog. This tape-worm, which is less than a quarter of an inch in length, may be present in large numbers in the clog, and yet the animal nniv is how no obvious signs of the disease. Eggs of the tape-worm are voided by the dog in large numbers in its excrement. After being passed, eggs remain alive tor a long time, but titey cannot hatch out or develop unless" they enter a human being or some suitable animal by being swallowed. Eggs may got on to pasture and crass", infecting sheep, pigs, and cattle; into water, which may infect man or animals ; or oil to vegetables which arc eaten uncooked, .such as salads, watercress. etc. Eggs cling to the hair of dugs about their bodies or noses, and thus, if an infected dog is handled or allowed to lick the hands, or is fed at meal times, eggs may possibly be carried on the lingers direct to a person’s mouth. Eggs swallowed by man or animals develop, and the parasites bore their wav to some organ ol the body— the liver, lung, brain, etc. —where they grow in to "hi adders or cysts, which are called hydatids. Dogs become infected by eating portions of an animal, such as liver or lights, containing hydatids. These hydatids contain many eggs, which into tape-worms in the dog’s intestine, and such an infected dog becomes a source of danger to man and other animals.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES. The prevention of hydatid disease could be readily secured by the destruction of all offal (plucks) containing hydatid .cysts. Dogs should not be allowed to enter slaughter-houses, nor cat uncooked offal. Drenching, with a suitable worm-medicine, three or lour times a year, of dogs which have to be used about abattoirs or amongst stock in the country, is effective in keeping these animals free from lape-worm. Dog kennels and areas where dogs are chained up should be scalded at intervals with boiling water, which easily kills the eggs of the tapeworm. Ownerless and useless dogs should he destroyed. Do not allow dogs to enter the house, play with children, lick the hands or lace, and never feed them at one’s own meal time nor from utensils used by human beings Prevent dogs from access to any water which is used for drinking by man. and never drink any water from unprotected ponds or streams unless it lias been boiled. Keep dogs away from kitchen gardens, and boil all vegetables before eating them. If salads are required, wash thoroughly all such vegetables l®af by leaf in running water. It is safer to avoid salads from unknown and unprotected sources. The economic loss throughout the Dominion from the effects of this disease upon sheep must lie considerable, and wlum iis combined oltects upon mankind ami stock are taken into consideration, it is surely worth the while of every farmer and slaughterman Lo ensure that dogs shall not have access to raw offal. Remember, the only source of hydatid disease in man is a, dog affected with these minute tape-worms.