The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-13
HUMAN HEALTH AND EHE FooT-AND-
 MOUTH DISEASE
Spreading the Disease Overcome by Quarantane and Rasteur1zatiom.

that has been expressed in several quarters in regard to the effect upon human health of the present outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease is re- garded by Government authorities as somewhat exaggerated. The most com mon fear is that the milk supply mig ht become contanfnated, but in view of the precautions that the local author ities in the infected areas are very generally taking there is compara- lively little danger Of this Milk from infected farms is not permitted to be shipped at all. The only dan ger is. therefore, that before the dis ease has manifested itself some in fected milk might reach tine market
 For this reason, experts in the U. s. Department of Agriculture recom- mend pasteurization. A matter of commended by the Department anyway for all milk that is not very high grade and from tubercuIin tested cows.
 It has been demonstrated by ex- perrin ents which have beeeen mad in Denmark and Germany that pasteur- ization will serve as a safeguard against contagion from the foot-and- mouth disease just as readily as 1t does against typhoid fever. but in any event it must be thoroughly done ---the milk must be heated to 145 de- i &L6GS persture for 80 minutes
 In this country the foot-and- mouth disease has been so rare that there are few recorded eases of it's transmits. sion to human beings. In 1902 q few cases were reported in New England, and in 1908 in 8 few instances erup- tions were found in the mouths of children which were believed to have been caused by contaminated milk. In both ofNthese outbreaks, the sale of milk was stopped as soon as the disease was found among the cattle As long, therefore, as the disease can be confined by rigid Quarantine to from this source is very small. Should the pesti1ence spread all over this country and become as general as it has been at various times in large areas in Europe, the problem would become serious. Under any circurn- stances. however. presentation would be an efficient remedy. Where pas teurization is not possible. and where there is any reason to suspect that the disease may exist the precaution
 of boiling milk might be advisable. Simple directions for pasteurizing milk at home. however, are contained in Circular 127 which will be sent free on application to the U. s. Department of
 Agriculture.
 Cows affIicted with the malignant form of the disease lose practically all Of their milk. In mild cases, however, the decrease may be from one-third to one-haIf of the usual yield. The appearance of the milk also changes. It become thinner, blufsh, and poor in fats. When the udder ! is affected, the milk frequently con- tains eoagulated fbrin and blood, so that a considerable sediment forms. while the cream is thin and of 8 dirty color. These changes, however, oc-
 cur only when the disease is in an ad- yanced stage ana, as matter of fact, the disease is not permitted to pass I into an advanced stage, as any strick- en animal is at once slaughtered. Men who come in contact with dis eased animals may also become in- 1 fected. Tn 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, however, | the disease is rarely serious Where 1 it is very prevalent among animals, some authorities believe that 1t is fair 1 1y general among human beings, but l that the disturbances it causes are us- I ually so slight that they are not l brought to the attention of the family 1 physician. There is, however. a very | good reason for everyone giving the l diseased animals as wide a berth as possible. namely, that otherwise they i may easily carry the disease to per 1 fectly healthy herds. Federal inspec- I tors engaged in the work of eradi- I eating the pestilence are thoroughly l equipped with rubber coats, hats l boots and g1oves,, which may be com pIetely disinfected; and others whc lack this equipment are strongly urged l not to allow their curiosity to induce | them to become menace to their owr | and their neighbors' property.
 The disease, in short, is dangerou:
 because of the loss that it occasions
 to property, and not because of it's eff 1 fects upon the health of mankind. A
 present all infected herds are beins | slaughtered as soon as they are discov
 cred. the carcasses buried, and th'
 premises thoroughly disinfected. Un
 til all danger has been removed il