HYDATIDS CONTROL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 11, 6 October 1937, Page 3

HYDATIDS CONTROL

Onr Own Corresoaricient..)

Bill To Be Introduced This Session "A VERY SERIOUS MATTER"

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WELLINGTON, This Day. A measure to control liydatids in New Zealand will be one of tlie Bills brought down before tlie present session concludes, it is understood kere. For sonie time past the Health Department has been doing preliminary work on the question of hydatids, which is much more serious in its attack on the national well-being than is generally realised. In 1935, the year for which the latest figures are available dydatids furnislied 103 cases to public hospitals. Of this number 13 died. These deaths represent 12 per cent. of the total cases in public hospitals. Recently Sir Louis Barnett, Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Otago University described it as fia very serious matter." He declared that of tho 31,000,000 sheep in New Zealand at least half were infected with hydatid cysts, and that in the case of aged sheep the incidence might be as high as 80 per cent. Dogs are a main factor in the spreading of the disease here. In the last ten years there have been 1000 cases, many of which have been traeed tidogs. The disease is caused by. tapeworms which inhabit the intestines of dogs, and it is proposed that antihydatid medicine shall be -provided for all registered dogs in future. Tlie medicine would have to be administered only about four times a yeav. Other measures for control of tho disease are under consideration.