FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3713, 12 May 1925, Page 12

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.

It will be recalled that a departmental committee was appointed at Home about a year ago to examine the circumstances of the 1925 outbreak of foot and mou;h disease, and to review the policy pursued by the Ministry, and make suggestions os to administrative measures. tne report has now been published. The scientific side of the problem is being studied by a research committee, but no report has yet been issued. In regard to the former a preface (says the Field) states that while the disease is not usually fatal —the proportion of deaths does not normally exceed 3 per cent, in the case of cattle—it has secondary consequences tlmr are often serious in the case of valuable cows and breeding stock. The reil trouble with foot and mouth disease is not its deadliness, but its extraordinary infectivity . . although the actual losses by death might not in themselves be disastrous, if once foot and mouth disease were allowed to become endemic the total losses which would be suffered by breeders and dairy farmers would be gigantic, and all stockowners would be faced with a constant and recurring menace, to say nothing of the effect on our export of pedigree stock which is of such high importance to the meat and wool trade of ill* world.” The story of the Blackpool outbreak in August, 1923, as told by the committee is worth repeating, as this case is held to be directly responsible for the introduction of disease into Cheshire with jucJi disastrous results. It appears that the local veterinary surgeon was called in to advise in respect to two cows on the farm attached to a Blackpool hydro which were believed to be suffering from a cold. He saw at first glance that the cows were affected with loot and mouth disease. This was reported, and the Ministry’s inspector confirmed the existence of disease on the following day, a standstill order being applied within a radius of 15 miles. In the opinion of the inspector the disease had first attacked the pigs on the farm, and had spread to the cattle. Tlie origin of this outbreak appears to be due to the use of imported vegetables, the refuse of which found its way from the swill-tubs of the hydro to the pigs. It appears that when the local veterinary surgeon visited the cows he was not wearing waterproof clothing, but had on his ordinary clothes. The next day he was called in to a case of milk fever at the Irish animals’ landing place at Fleetwood, eight miles from Blackpool. He attended in the same clothes which had in the meantime beau sponged with disinfectant. This row hater became infected with foot and mouth disease. The committee after carefully weighing the evidence available has come to the conclusion that the veterinary surgeon was the unwitting agent whereby infection was introduced in the landingplace at Fleetwood. Before the cow a* Fleetwood had shown signs of foot and mouth disease the owner had secured special permission from the local staff of the Ministry to move his cows to premises at Crewe, and it is to the veterinary inspector at Crewe that the committee attaches the chief responsibility for the spread of the disease. He was called in to see the cow from Fleetwood, whi ;h was apparently suffering from a- cold, an 1 showing symptoms suspicious of foot and mouth disease. He advised the owner to report his suspicions to the police, lut he did not immediately exercise Ins powers to prohibit the movement of all animals into or out of Crewe market, which was held that day. As a consequence of inaction for nearly 15 hours «.*• e infected cattle docks at Crewe were traversed by large number of animals which subsequently carried the disease to farms in the vicinity. Tlie following are among the other conclusions arrived at by the committee: The indifference of owners to the importance of prompt reporting is the most fruitful cause of the spread cf the disease and the most difficult to provide against. No reduction can be recommended of the size of infected auas in the first instance. An area with a radius of 15 miles may seem unnecessarily Large in dealing with a single outbreak', but it must be remembered that before the first symptoms of disease are noticed, and any precautions taken, the animals are in a highly infective state for about 48 hours. Consequently the movements of all animals that may have been exposed to infection should he under some kind of control for tlie first few days. The most serious source of danger is the j lg. The boiling and cooking of all refuse tiefore it is fed to pigs is very desirable. The eradication of foot and mouth disease has been accepted by the State as a national liability, and in the circumstances State compensation for slaughtered animals, it is suggested, should be continued, and no compulsory insurance scheme submitted. OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY. DATE OF SUMMER SHOW. At the last monthly meeting of the committee of the Otago A. and P. Society a request was received from Oainnru that the society alter tho usual dates for the Summer Show and hold it on the two days following the opening of tho Exhibition. A conference was held yesterday afternoon between representatives from the Exhibition and the society, when the whole matter was fully discussed; Mr A. Barnett, on behalf of tho Exhibition directors, expressed the opinion that* it would not be in the interests of the Exhibition or the society that the Summer Show should

be held during the first week of tho Exhibition. The directors had already arrangej for maiiy special attractions extending over somo time, and he urged the society to postpone the date as long as possible. After those present had expressed their views a recommendation was made that the next Summer Show should he held in Fobruary. The President (Mr George Black) pointed cut that the February dates had been tried in previous years and tho committee had reverted to the November dates, but as the society was anxious to work in with the Exhibition authorities, tho whole matter would bo considered at the next monthly meeting. The whole question rested mainly on the exhibitors, and as tho proposal was an important one it would most iikely be held over for the annual general meeting to be held on Juno 2, when exhibitors and breeders would have an opportunity of expressing their opnion and coming to a final decision.