HYDATID DISEASE

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19457, 22 December 1934, Page 12

HYDATID DISEASE

SERIOUS INCIDENCE. DOCTOR’S WARNING. An urgent plea for realisation by the public of the seriousness of the Incidence of hydatid disease and an appeal to the farming community to co-operate with research workers in checking the spread of the disease was made at a recent meeting of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association, by Dr. C. E. Hercus, Professor of Bacteriology at'Otago 'University, states the Timaru Herald.

Dr. Hercus said that the discovery of the 'cause of the disease was madein 1853, and it might well be thought that by now hydatids would be of historic interest. 'Unfortunately, the essential facts in the causation .of the disease had not yet been fully realised by the public, and a study of hospital records in New Zealand made it all too apparent that the disease was still prevalent. Sir Louis Barnett, who for over twenty years had been urging the New Zealand 'Government and the public to take precautions against hydatid disease, stated In a recent study that, m tlic last 37 years over 2800 people had been treated for hydatid disease m New Zealand, and that over b»0 of those people had died from the disease, lie also staled that in a recent examination of over 8000 sheep dotted throughout New Zealand, -<3 pei cent were found to harbour hydatid cjst , and of 2000 cattle 40 Per cent were similarly infected. 3’ hc mcidence o hvdatids was greater in the South ts land than In the North Island. Caustics showed that only one of 1091 patients admitted to hospital in the North Island suffered from _ bjdatid disease, compared with one in tot m the South Island, while one In. every 291 patients admitted to hospital in Christchurch had the disease. Carried by Dogs. The hydatid was a tiny tape worm which lived In the small intestine of the dog and Infected dogs passed daliy in their excreta thousands of minute eggs, which, were invisible to the naked eye. “Each of these eggs Is capable of development Into a hydatid cyst If subsequent conditions are satisfactory to it. The eggs aic extremely resistant and will remain alive for as long as six months under such 'disadvantageous conditions as drying, freezing, and soaking in water. The eggs cannot hatch out and develop into hydatid cysts unless they are swallowed by a human being or some other susceptible animal. The eggs are widely distributed over pasture grasses and may get into water supplies and on to vegetables which are eaten uncooked, such as salads, watercress, etc., but their principal reservoir is on the dog, where the eggs cling to their hair, about their bodies, and noses, so that the -stroking of an ipfected dog or allowing such a dog to lick the hand, allows the easy transference of the eggs to the Person’s mouth. Eggs swallowed by man or susceptible animals develop Into -tiny parasites which bore their way to some organ of the body, most commonly Hie- liver and the lungs, where they grow Into bladders which are called hydatids. Man cannot be infected by eating the meat of Infected sheep, cattle, or pigs, even if uncooked.

“There is a popular belief that man can he infected by eating rabbits, in which hydatid 'cysts are not Infrequently lo be found. This belief Is incorrect. In the first place, the livdatit cyst in rabbit belongs to an entirely different worm to the one which infects man, and in the second place, even if it belonged to the same hydatid, man cannot be infected in this manner. The only source of infection of practical importance is a dog infected with these minute tape worms. Heart of the Problem, '“The abolition of the practice of feeding the raw offal of sheep to dogs would strike at the heart of the problem," said Dr. llercus. “It seems to be difficult to get the farmers of New Zealand to take a serious interest In the prevention of this disease in dogs, raw offal must be either destroyed or treated In such a way as to be safe for consumption. The hydatid elements in the offal can be destroyed by burning or by disinfection. As I am told by some 'farmers that they need the offal for dog-feed, partial cooking would suffice lo make the offal safe. A small fireplace should be built in the vicinity of the slaughter pen, and before going out (o bring in the sheep for killing, a fire should ho Jit under a kerosene tin full of water. By I lie time Ihe animal is killed and eviscerated the water would lie boiling and the lungs and liver, heart and spleen can be dropped into it as they arc removed it is not necessary to boil the stomach and intestines, which are rarely infected. After len niinules’ boiling Hie material can be removed, cooled, and used safely as dog-food." Jn addition to those measures much could he done lo prevent ’the infection in man himself. Education of the farming community as lo the life cycle was essential and that should be taught in country schools and placards should be posted in wool sheds, shearers’ quarters, frequent articles should appear in 'farmers’ papers, agricultural journals, and every time a dog was licensed, a leaflet with the history of the disease should be distributed. Direct association with country dogs, particularly with children, should he avoided. Dog kennels should be thoroughly disinfected with one per cent formalin at regular Intervals and the closest attention should he paid to the washing of the hands before meals when dogs had been handled.