The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-12-03
Human Health And The Foot-And-
Mouth Disease.

to the effect upon human health of
the present outbreak of the foot-and-
mouth disease is regarded by Gov
eminent authorities as some what ex-
aggerated. The most common fear
is that the milk supply might become
contaminated, but in view of the pre-
cautions that the local authorities in
the infected areas are very generally
taking, there is comparatively little
danger of this. Milk from infected
farms is not permitted to be shipped
at all. The only danger, is, there
fore, that before the disease has man
ifested itself some infected milk
might reach the market. For this
reason experts in the department rec
ommend pasteurization. AS a matter
of fact, however, pasteurization is
recommended by the department
anyway for all milk that is not very
high grade and from tuberculin-test-
ed cows.
1t has been demonstrated by ex-
periments which have been made in
Denmark and Germany that pas
teurization will serve as a safeguard
against c%ontagion from the foot-and-
mouth disease just as readily as it
does against typhoid fever, but in
any event it must be thoroughly done
the milk must be heated to las
degrees F. and held at this temper
ature for 80 minutes.
In this country the foot-and-moutl
disease has been SO rare that there
are few recorded cases of its trans
mission to human beings. In 1902
a few cases were reported in New
England and in 1908 in a few in
stances eruptions were found in the
mouths of children, which were be-
lieved to have been caused by con-
taminated milk. In both of these
outbreaks the sale of milk was stop
ped as soon as the disease was found
among the cattle. AS long therefore
as the disease can be confined by rig
i'd quarantine to certain specified
areas the danger from this source is
very small. Should the pestilence
spread all over the country and be-
come as general as it has been at
various times in large areas in Eu-
rope, the problem would become
more serious. Under any circum-
stances, however, pastelAization
would be an efficient remedy. Where
pasteurizaztion is not possible and
where there is any reason to suspect
that the disease may exist the pre-
caution of boiling milk might be ad-
visabie.
Cows affected with the malignant
form of the disease lose practically
all Of their milk. In mild cases, how
ever, the decrease may be from one
third to one-half Of the usual yield.
The appearance of the milk also
changes. 1t becomes thinner, blush,
and poor in fat. When the udder is
affected, the milk frequently con
tains coagulated fbrin and blood, SO
that a considerable sediment forms,
while the cream is thin and of a dirty
color. These changes, however, &C.
cur only when the disease is in an
advanced stage, and, as a matter of
fact, the disease is not permitted to
pass into an advanced stage, as any
stricken animal is at once slaugh-
tered.
Men who come in contact with
diseased animals may also become in
fected. In adult human beings the
contagion causes such symptoms as
sore mouths, painful swallowing, fe-
yer, and occasional eruptions on the
hands, finger tips, etc. While caus
ing considerable discomfort, how
ever, the disease is rarely serious.
Where 1t Is very prevalent among an
imals, some of the authorities believe
that it is fairly general among hui
man beings, but that the distur-
Dances it causes are usually so slight
that they are not brought to the at
t~ention of the family physician
There is, however, a very good rea-
son for everyone giving the diseased
animals as wide a berth as possible,
namely, that otherwise they may
easily carry the disease to perfectly
healthy herds. Federal inspectors
engaged in the work of Graduating
the pestilence are thoroughly equip
ped with rubber coats, hats, boots,
and gloves, which may be complete
ly disinfected; and others who lack
this equipment are strongly urged
not to allow their curiosity to induce
them to become a menace to their
own and neighbors' property.
The disease, in short, is danger
Gus because Of the loss it occasions
to property, and not because Of its
effects upon the health Of mankind.
At present all infected herds are be-
ing slaughtered as soon as they are
discovered, the buried, and
the premises thoroughly disinfected.
Until all danger of infection has been
removed in this way, the local au-
thorities quarantine the milk.
Those who wish additional precau-
tions are recommended to use pas
teurized milk, but as has already
been said, this recommendation holds