DISEASE IN CATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 14

DISEASE IN CATTLE.

FOOT AND MOUTH CASES.

STRENGTH OF THE GERM

POSSIBLE PERIL FROM RATS

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, Sept. 6. Delegates to tho Veterinary Congress at Ayr discussed tho question of foot and mouth disease, most of the speakers favouring the slaughter policy in attacking the discaso.

"It has been conclusively proved that one way tho virus of disease onters this country is in Continental pig carcases, shipped bore to bo converted into socalled Ayrshire bacon," declared Mr. J. C. Powlcy, superintending inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture. In a piggery in Yorkshire, continued Mr. Powley, an inspector recently noticed a largo number of lame rats when dealing with an outbreak of the disease, and this discovery was being investigated by the research coininittco. There were several reasons why it should bo possible for the rat to contract tho diseaso naturally, ono of which was its burrowing propensities. If tho rat was proved to contract the disease naturally, the work of dealing with out breaks in tho fiold would be more difficult. In Lancashire there had been clear circumstantial evidence of infection of pigs and cattle through freshly-ground bones for poultry from South American beef carcases. Cattle food was frequently carried in old Argentine sacks packed in ships' holds in contact with hides and many other meat products which might contain infective material. Considering the extent of the diseaso on the Continent and in South America, combined with tho greatly increased facilities for trade with them, the wonder was that this country was at times so free. Mr. Powloy contradicted tho common impression that the virus of foot-and-mouth disease was easily destroyed in hay and garden soil. It had lived 25 to 30 days, and virus kept 011 hay and bran at atmospheric vapour pressure had remained alive two to live months. When this discovery was combined with the astonishing fact that, experimentally, the disease could be produced with the virus diluted ono in ten million, ono could realise the difficulty in eradicating tho disease. Professor S. 11. Gaiger, of Liverpool, stated that one tablespoonfuJ of tho virus could be diluted to 30,000 gallons of water, which would be infective when injected into susceptible animals. After a tour of inspection of Argentina last year he thought there was a distinct possibility of cattle being killed in tho incubative stages of the disease and exported to England. The situation, however, was improving. Major H. S. Rabagliati, of Wakefield, expressed tho opinion that the private slaughter-house so common on English farms was one of the most potent spreaders of foot-and-mouth and other diseases. A strong protest against the presumption that this country was compelled to import large and increasing quantities of South American meat was made by Major J. A. Dfxon, of Leeds. "The importation of frozen meat from South America," ho said, "has made meat cheap 011 the wholesale market, but not to tho consumer. For nine months in the year fat cows can scarcely be given away. The butchers find they can make more profit out of handling foreign meat."