THE TICK IN NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 10

THE TICK IN NEW ZEALAND

MR. REAKES'S OPINION. (By TelecraDh'.—Presa A6soclatloD.l Chrlstcliurch, November 23. Mr. C. J. Reakes, M.R.C.V.S., the Director of the Live Stock and Meat Division of .the New Zealand Agricultural Department, , who was in Christchurch to-day, has made tho following statement upon the question of the discovery of a cattle tick, in the North Island. Mr. Reakes said: "Totally unnecessary alarm may bo caused, by the fact' of a tick having Wn found present on cattle in-the North of Auckland district,. The tick fouud is that known as Ixodes Ricinus, a parasite found on dogs, and also on' cattle and_ sheep, in practically all civilised countries, including Great Britain and the Continent of Europe. It'is not. the tick commonly known as the Queensland tick, as mentioned in a message from Auckland, which is responsible for the conveyance from animal to animal of the infection of tick : fever. There is absolutely nothing to indicate that it is-hero or has ever been here. The' Queensland tick is named Boophilus-Bovis, the names Rhinicephaent:s Annulatus.and Margaropus Annulatus being also applied to it," the latter in the United States. This tick is also fnimd in South Africa, and portions of the United States, associated with the specific disease .tick'fever (termed "Red water" iu South .Africa). Even this tick itself cannot cause tick fever, unless it has first imbibed the blood of an'infected cattle beast. It is stated, however, that the first generation of ticks, from one which has fed' upon infected blood, may be able to convey the diseaso, but some authorities doubt this. As for th» tick found here (Ixodes Ricinus), its presence must not be taken as an indication that this most serious disease is menacing New Zealand. The one point to ly> borno in mind is that being, a bloodsucking parasite, if the disease ever gained entrance here it might take oil the function of.a conveyor .of disease, in fact, as stated in tho Department's journal, it has been stnted to have beeiV found implicated in doing so in Great Britain, but every precaution is taken to'safeguard New Zealand against 'the introduction 'of- tick fever,, the importation of stock of any kind,'from Queensland being' absolutely prohibited, and, moreover,' cattle from other Australian States (except' Western Australia, which is also prohibited* have to undergo quarantine here. No cattle from any infected American Stats are allowed to.bo imported. Moreover, it is extremely unlikely, on .acciVant" of climatic conditions, that, the Queensland tick ' could establish itself and live in New Zealand, unless, perhaps, in the extreme north. "In this country we have had, for years past, cases occurring of a disease characterised bv tho passage of blood-stained urine andUppoularly termed 'rod water,' a distinct and separate disease to tick fever or Sontli African 'red water.' It has always been 'looked upon as a condition brought about by dietetic cases, and whenever taken in timo recovery has taken place quickly when treatment, including a proper change of diet, has been provided for the affected animal. It most frequently occurs in pregnant cows, when on turnip paddocks. A somewhat similar disease has been present in Great Britain for some years past, and, of late, it is stated, that its dissemination has been duo to ticks. The tick fouud here being said to be implicated, repeated on deavours have been made by the Depart ment to ascertain whether ticks arc in any way responsible for the form of red water found in' New Zealand, .but in no case has any tick been found in connection with tliern, though special \searcli. has,., time after time, been made. All the'available information points to it being purely difetitie of origin, and,l'do not believe that ticks have anything to do with it. The animal from which 4h'e tick found h«e was taken, was in no way affected.

It is hoped that tho publicity given to this matter will ',by calling tlie attention of farmors to it, help the Department in still furthor confirming the opinion ha ticks arc ill no way connected with this trouble, and in the article in question a special request was made that any ticks which might' be found on affected cattle might be forwarded to the veterinary laboratory, for examination. We have not the Queensland* tick here, and. we have not tick fever, and every possible precaution is takeu to safeguard owners' against tho introduction of this disease. .

In conclusion, I consiler that instead of being backward, iu. safeguarding the interests of stockownersr tlie Department has.been jnst tho reverse, especially in chronicling the. presence of a parasite so widely distributed throughout tho world that probably'' no other country would have considered it necessary to take, a similar step. It was done here in . order that, no possible point might bo. missed in doing all that is possible to .'keep our stock healthy, and to keep stoekoiniers alive to tho nec-eisit.r for assisting tho Department by advising it of any matters, such as the presence of parasites, oven though they bo' not considered ill themselves sej-iously harmful. When the first tick,.was found, a careful watch was kept in order to determine whether any trouble was being caused or whether tho para.sites were present, in any number, and this watchfulness has been continued. It was felt, at the time that the' identity of the tipk being established its presence need not be looked upon as constituting it in any way ,i serious menace to stockowners, and that there was no necessity for publicity, •though such precautions as were warranted by the facts were taken. As a matter of fact, no more ticks wer? met with until a few daye ago, when another was forwarded from the neighbourhood of the same district, this being found to be of the same variety.