DISTEMPER

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1929, Page 2

DISTEMPER

CAN BE PREVENTED. WONDERFUL NEW VACCINE. SUCCESS OF THE “FIELD” ENQUIRY. A complete preventive of distemper in dogs is announced in the “Field” (Thursday, November 29th). The announcement is made as the result of the five years’ researches conducted by Dr Laidlaw and Mr W. Duiikin at the Mill Hill laboratories of the Medical Research Council on behalf of the Field Distemper Fund and its subscribers. It is contained in the report submitted on their behalf to the Field Distemper Council at .a meeting over which the Duke of Portland presided, and to the Medical Research Council, of which lEarl Balfour is President. The report in full is published in the “Field” with a.n introduction by Sir Charles Martin, F.R.S. From the report it appears that many difficulties were encountered in finding the true nature of the virus or poison which produces distemper in dogs, but it was at last identified beyond doubt. When this was done the task of employing it so as to render dogs immune from attacks of distemper presented further difficulties. But these were surmounted, and now it is established “beyond perad venture” that dogs can be completely immunised.

The most convincing demonstration of this is afforded by the fact that no fewer than 1,300 dogs and hounds have been inoculated successfully. The Piickoridge, the -Tiverton and the Warwickshire packs afford striking example of the success of the treatment.

Among dogs of other breeds are Labradors, wire-haired terriers, Cairn terriers, golden retrievers, spaniels, pointers, bull-terriers, bulldogs, whippets, toy spaniels. Daiulie Diumonts, Skye tenders, Shetland collies, Alsatians, mastiffs, Kerry blues and Aberdeen s.

All these dogs alter treatment at the Field Distemper Research Station proved to lie completely resistant to the disease afterwards, whether they were exposed to infection by close contact with other dogs suffering from acute distemper, or whether an attempt was made to inoculate them with the actual poison of distemper, which the investigators discovered. The method of preventing distemper nn any given dog consists of a double inoculation. Distemper occurs in dogs, not as was once supposed by a visible germ or micro-organism, but by an invisible one which is recognisable only by the virus or poison which is the sign of the organism’s presence. The virus is the concomitant of the organism causing distemper in dogs and is present in all cases of distemper. The first inoculation of the dog which is selected for treatment is made with a vaccine which is in fact the virus of distemper made inactive by laboratory treatment. The second inoculation is made after an interval of about ten days with a weak or attenuated strain of the living virus. This dose of living virus is a hundredfo/I times as much as that which would suffice to infect any dog with distemper, which had not been previously vaccinated with the first vaccine, or had not suffered from distemper already. But with a dog so vaccinated, the dose of living poison produces only slight symptoms, sometimes none at all, because it was rendered partially immune by the first vaccination. The second vaccination makes it completely and permanently immune.

The preparations of the vaccine and of the virus requisite for the inoculations are not yet available for distribution among the general public, or even among the veterinary practitioners, who are the proper people to employ them. But arrangements will be made for their production by responsible biological chemists on a scale such as will make them generally available.