FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 May 1935, Page 7

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

OUTBREAKS IN ENGLAND APPALLING SLAUGHTER CONTINUES % The appalling toll of foot-and-mouth disease continues in South Dorset, England, notwithstanding the incessant watchfulness of farmers and the drastic measures which are being taken by the Ministry of Agriculture officials to stamp out the infection, states a recent 'communication received by Air N. Gane, of Inalia. Dairy farmers and sheep breeders are viewing the situation with increasing alarm. Since the first outbreak was reported at Messrs G. and W. Vincent’s farm at Broadwey on January 13, over 2500 head of stock have been slaughtered in the effort to stamp out the disease. Over 1000 animals were killed at the beginning of this week, 900 being sheep.

Three fresh outbreaks occurred in the area within 48 hours. One of the victims lost the whole of his stock of 99 dairy cattle. Since that date his flock of 400 sheep had been kept under close otiservation and isolated in the hope that they might ■be saved from destruction. However, it was found that one or two of the animals had become infected, and the authorities had no option but to order the slaughtering of the entire flock. This is a disaster to one of the largest breeders of stock in the neighbourhood. Practically every living thing has been wiped of the farm. The menace now • hangs over two other . farms in the immediate vicinity, holding 70 cows, and there are also 130 pigs which the authorities are trying to save. A neighbour has become the victom of foot and mouth disease, despite the fact that his cattle were not infected. As a precautionary measure, the Ministry of Agriculture, officials ordered the slaughtering of his stock of 32 cattle,, on the grounds that they were grazing in an adjoining field and were to be regarded as direct contact, cattle. These fresh outbreaks have occurred at a time when hopes were being held out that the spread of infection had been arrested. : Unfortunately, the disease has maintained a grip on the borders of Weymouth in spite of the sunshine and frost, and some of the finest sheep and dairy i farms in the country are being de- | pleted of stock. | Altogether, there have been three i outbreaks at Broadwey, two at Bincombe, two in the neighbourhood of Littlemoor, one at Came, one at West Knighton, one at West Stafford, and one at Sutton Poyntz.