RISK OF ANTHRAX.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3438, 18 March 1920, Page 7

RISK OF ANTHRAX.

GOODS FROM THE EAST, IMPORT I’RO»HIBITED_ JAPANESE TOILET BRUSHES, In order to prevent the conveyance of anthrax -The Government has pmhi. bited, by Order-in‘Council, under the Public Health Act, the importa'-tion of articles likely to convey the disease unless they are disinfected at the ex. pense of the importer, and to the satis. faction of the district health ofi’icel«_ The prohibiltion ffaplies to the following goods:—-(1) Toilet brushes 01. toilet articles containing or made from t the hair of animals. (21) If nlanufa(,_ tured in Eastern or Southern-Easternl Asia, India, Ceylon, Japan, the East‘ India Islands, and the Phfljppine 15lands; or (b) if manufactured in other‘ countries and deemed, in the opinion of the Collector of Cusotms likely to convey anlthrax; and (2) animal wool, hair, including “drafts” or “drawn” hair, and bristles, if grown in any of these countries. M Information llas been received by the Auckland Public Health Department that consignments of sllavin<,;' brushes recently received in Great Britain from Japan have been found to be infected with anthrax. A similar condition has been found among shaving brushes iniporled inlto Australia, and their import has been prohibited in both countries as a. result. Brushes have also been received in New Zealand from Japan, but no cases of anthrax have been notified in the Dominion. As the goods received in New Zealand were distributed before the fact was known of infection having occurred in other countries, the Public Health Deparltment considers it. desirable that all consignments of shaving brushes of Japanese origin should be disinfected, and has notified importing firms accordingly. Any person who has any doubt as to the origin of a new shaving brush is advised to adopt. the following pro-cedure:-—'l‘horoughly \.\'=.lsll the brush with soap and hot water, and then immerse it for one hour in a disinfiectting usoltiltlion composed o\f ltwo tablespoonfuls of formalin in half a pint of water. The formalin solution should. be at a temperature of .110 deg.v.'ees Fahr. Care should be taken not to allow the brush to come in Contact with the hands before disinfection.