The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-19
THE HAsKIN LETTER
OT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
By Frederick J. Haskin.

The greatest difficulty encountered
i, by the federal and state inspectors
| who are fighting the spread Of the
foot-and-mouth disease Of cattle has
been to convince the people Of the
almost incredibly contagious char
acter OF the malady. Farmers in re-
\ gions where the infection has been
discovered have insisted upon going
to examine the sick cattle Of their
neighbors, curious to see what the
new scourge is like, with the result
that they have often carried the
germs to their own herds.
There is no other disease that is 80
certainly and readily conveyed by
contact, and the germs are every
where about premises where infect
ed cattle have been kept. 1t has been
found that healthy animals exposed
for even an instant to stables, yards,
pastures, or cars that have been
occupied by affected cattle, will fire.
quently acquire the disease. Buckets,
clothes, brushes and all other objects
that have been used by OF on sick
cattle are carriers OF the infection;
and fodder which has been in the
same stables with them, even though
they have not actually touched it, is
apt to carry the germs. The disease
Is readily conveyed by small animals
such as dogs, cats, rats and birds,
while the hands, boots and clothing
germs Experience has shown that
q road along which diseased cattle
have passed may retain enough Of the
virus to infect other cattle which
pass along the road several hours
later, and premises which have been
occupied by the diseased cattle are
not safe for other cattle for several
months after the disease has disap-
peared.
This quality OF extreme co1tagion
! is the one which makes an epidemic
OF foot-and-mouth disease dangerous.
The disease in itself is merely a
fever, known to veterinarians as
aphthous fever, and may be cured in
individuals In large percentage u
cases, the percentage Of mortality be-
ing seldom more than five. But the
afflicted animals lose weight: in the.
! case Of milk COWS, the flow OF milk is
greatly diminished. and 1t is no long
er at for human food, while animals
which have had the disease may
carry the infection for months after
the symptoms have disappeared. Thus
an outbreak of the disease will quick
ly render a herd of cattle almost
worthless. and t he most economical
method in the long run is to kill and
bury all infected stock before the
! fast-traveling infection can reach
healthy animals.
The symptoms Of the disease most
readily recognized are sluggishness,
: shiyering, poor appetite, lameness,
the slavering Of saliva, and the for
nation of sores between the toes OF
the hoof. The attacks vary greatly
In severity, and any Of these symp-
toms, If sufficiently marked, should
be the signal for the immediate de-
struction Of the afflicted animals. In
addition to cattle, swine and sheep
are also subject to the disease In
them. usually the. feet only are af-
fected. e
Human beings may take the dis
ease in a mild form, and may get 1t
from infected animals. The symptoms
are usually fever blisters in the
mouth and occasionally sores upon
the hands. Veterinarians who have
combated the disease in European
countries, have expressed the opinion
that large numbers OF the peasants
in those countries had the disease,
but in such a mild form as to be
scarcely noticed by the infected per-
SON. The disease may be conveyed
to persons by drinking the milk OF
infected cattle as well as by contact
with them or the premises where
they have been kept; and in the case
of weak or sickly children, 1t may
become dangerous.
A characteristic which makes the
foot-and-mouth diesase especially
hard to combat is that one attack
does not confer immunity, us in the
case with most other contagious dis
eases. Hence to inoculate healthy
animals with l. serum containing the
virus OF the disease, as is done for
the prevention Of hog cholera, is not
only useless, but dangerous, as 1t
would serve to introduce the infec-
ton. In Europe, however, the prac-
tice of thus inoculating the healthy
cattle of herd where the infection
has broken out, has been resorte6 to
in order to hasten the progress Of
the disease. 1t also causes the ami
mails SO inoculated to have the dis
ease in milder form. The danger Of
spreading infection by such a tenn
porizing method is so great, however,
that the authorities in this country
have never used It.
The method adopted by the depart
ment Of agriculture for the eradica-
ton of the disease consists Of a COM
plete and rigorous quarantine OF all
infected areas, and the destruction
with five other epidemics in this
country has taught the government
veterinarians that these heroic meas
ures are the cheapest In the end.