HYDATIDS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1929, Page 3

HYDATIDS

STOCK DIVISION’S ADVICE

The following has been issue by the Slock Division of the Department ol Agriculture:—

Hydatids affect both man and animals. Among the domestic animals those most commonly affected are sheep cattle and pigs. 'These animals and man are infected through eating food contaminated with eggs liberated from certain tapeworms of the dog the main ono being known technically as the Taenia Echinococcus.

This tapeworm in the dog is the smallest of the tapeworms, and it may easily escape detection. The tapeworm attaches itself to the bowel wall of the dog by means of suckers- and forms segments which when mature leave the dog pier the excreta. These segments contain eggs which may get into running streams and in other ways contaminate grass and other vegetables eventually eaten by animals and man. If the contaminated grass is eaten by animals, or if contaminated vegetables as lettuce, etc., are eaten by man, the result is infection of either with potential hydatid cysts. The eggs swallowed in the tood hatch out, bore through the bowel-wall, or are carried by the blood or lymph stream to certain organs of the body where the hydatid cyst or cysts form as a consequence.

The most cohimon organs affected with hydatids in animals are the lungs and liver. The nniscic or flesh of the animal is seldom affected although hydatids have been noted in the heart muscle.

The hydatid as seen in the organ? above-mentioned in animals has the appearance of a globular sac filled with water-like fluid. If a careful examination of this sac is made with the aid of a magnifying glass, the lining of the sac will show a numbei of small pin-bead bladders attached to it by a stalk, and these in turn if magnified, may be seen to contain a number of small bodies. Each of these is in reality the immature head of a tapeworm, and is capable of developing into the mature worm on reaching the bb’wel of a dog.

Jn animals the number of hydatids in the organs variesva good deal. In small numbers hydatids do not inteifere with the animals health as a general rule, Initjf numerous may cause weakness and even emaciation. On the other hand when hydatids arcpresent in the human subject, the trouble caused is often serious and may call for surgical assistance.

The cysts are slow-forming and vary greatly iii size from a pea upwards. The danger to the 1 human subject and especially children, is therefore to be guarded* against, and with this object in view, certain preventive measures are here suggested. From the above it will be seen that the clog affected with tapeworms is the spreader of the trouble. Man and animals act as the intermediate hosts and carry the cystic or hyclatic stage. The life-cycle of the worm responsible is therefore completed if the cysts aie fed to dogs.

Any line of attack is therefore designed with a view to break down the completion of the life-cycle of the worm and here the following suggestions arc put forward to all dog owners. If c-onscientously carried out by all owners, the incidence of hydntiu? in New Zealand would be very considerably reduced. (1) Do not allow dogs access to un cooKcd offal from animals, unless free from hydatids. Raw flesh is quite peimissable. (2) Do not allow carcases of sheep to lie about the farm where dogs cai get to them. All carcases of deal, animals should be either buried oj burned. (3) Do not allow dogs to fi\quen> country slaughterhouses in search oi food. (3a) Do not allow pigs or other do nipstie animals to roam at large, especially near the dog kennels. AH dogs should lie suspected as liar bouring the tapeworm and whether the dog-owner is a resident of the city oi a sheep-farmer, lie should dose his dogs for tapeworms every three months, after the dog is six months old. Tho following is the procedure: Fast the dog for twenty hours be fore tho medicine is given. Gi\e - grains per lb body weight of freshly ground nreca nut, The dose will vary according to the weight of the dog from 10 grains to one and a half drachms. In the small breeds combine a laxative with the above, giving n tablespoonful of syrup of buckthorn. With the larger breeds two tabic spoonfuls of castor oil. As the medicine acts quickly the dog should be confined and the droppings Imrit-d or burnt. Tenalino is a proprietary prepara tion which is equally effective. It is prescribed in doses of from ten drops to 120 drops, depending on the size of the dog. U is given on a fasting stomach with a little milk or water. It is recommended that the almvt preventive measures bo adopted to prevent hydatids in animals. If a' the same time dogs were not allowed, so much freedom, fondling of dogs by children prevented, never allowing the family dog to lick the hands or face, and all vegetables liable to contamination subject to thorough washing, tin incidence of (the disease, in human subject could be considerably reduced. Needless to say no feeding utensil used by the dog should, be afterward used on the table without sterilisation by boiling.