FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 278, 14 February 1928, Page 9

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

NEW ZEALAND IS FREE MINISTER’S ASSURANCE British Wireless—Press Assn.—Copyright Reed. 12.15 p.m. RUGBY, Monday. The Minister of Agriculture, Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Guinf ness, was asked in the House of Commons to-day whether Canada, Australia and New Zealand were now free of foot and mouth disease, and yvhether, in view of outbreaks of that disease in this country which had been traced to the importation of meat from South America, he would consider the desirability of limiting the importation of meat to supplies from countries which were free from the disease. The Minister replied that Canada, Australia and New Zealand were now free from the disease. In recent years no definite proof had been obtained that outbreaks of the disease in this country had been due to infection from meat imported from South America. The suspicion had, however, arisen that certain outbreaks had been due to infection from the cloths in which imported meat was wrapped, or to bones or other parts of carcases. To guard against this danger orders had been issued requiring bones or other parts of carcases or cloths in which they were wrapped to be boiled or disinfected before being brought into contact with animals. Negotiations had been in progress with South American Governments which should result in the adoption in those countries of measures preventing the introduction of infection into Great Britain. —A. and N.Z.