Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-11-13
The Fight Against Foot And. Mouth
Disease.

Inc present outbreak Of the fOOt-and- |
mouth disease, which Is one Of the most |
contagious and destructive diseases Of |
cattle. swine and sheep. exceeds in area |
affected any Of the five previous outbreaks |
in.this country. Unless the infection can |
be Immediately localized and eradicated. |
1t threatens untold losses among live stock |
So contagious Is the disease that in past |
outbreaks where but one animal in herd |
was infected, the entire herd in almost all
cases later contracted the sickness. While |
the mortality is not high the effects Of the |
disease even on animals that recover are |
such as TO make them practically useless. |
They lose feshrapidly; in the case Of COWS,
the milk dries up Or is made dangerous for
human consumption in the case Of breed
ing animals. the animal once infected be-
comes valueless for breeding, as il may
continue 70 be constant carrier Of con-
tagion
II is possible 10 cure the external symp-
toms. but during the process Of attempting
TO cure one sick animal the chances are
that hundreds Of others may be infected.
The treatment or killing Of single animal
in herd was tried in an outbreak and did
not prove effective. for the reason that the
remainder Of the herd soon became affected
and had 20 be killed
As a result Of the five outbreaks in this
country, and other disastrous epidemics Of
disease in Europe and Great Britain. vet
Urinary authorities Of the United States are
agreed that the only method Of combating
the disease is 10 stop all movement Of
stock and material which have been sub
jected to any danger Of infection, and TO
kill off without delay all herds in which |
the disease has Gained foothold. This |
enables the authorities to eradicate affected |
herds and to isolate and hold under obser- |
walton all suspected herds
For these reasons. the Department Of
Agriculture has already guaranteed ten |
States for the fOot-and-mOuth disease. The |
Federal quarantine prevents all interstate |
movement Of stock and materials likely to |
carry the infection. At the same time. the |
State authorities are imposing local quar-
antines which prevent the passage Of ami |
mails from farms or localities known 10 be |
infected 10 other localities In the State in |
which the disease has not appeared Each |
infected herd as rapidly as the disease is
discovered, is killed and the dead animals |
buried in a covering Of lime. The skins Of
the animals are slashed so as to permit |
the rapid action Of the lime.
The owner Of the slaughtered animals is |
reimbursed on basis Of the appraised value
Of the herd. the appraiser being appointed
by the State. The expense Of the whole
process Of condemnation and disinfection
is divided equally between the Federal and
State governments
Until the entire premises have been |
thoroughly disinfected and all danger Of
spreading the disease removed. the farm |
is quarantined by the local authorities in |
the same way in which it would be for |
contagious human disease. This local quar-
antine prevents the visits Of individuals |
or transfer Of any produce or animals from
the farm to other farms In some cases,
bISuuoC bNihko Ndh NdiNy Ahg uib-
ease to other herds. the State authorities
have prevented children on the infected
farms from attending school. In other
cases. as In Illinois and Ohio. the State
authorities have closed the stockyards until
they can be cleaned and disinfected
The first effort Of the Department is TO
discover and segfegate all animals sick
with the disease or that have been exposed.
To this end the Federal and State inspec-
tors are now tracing up. through bills Of
lading and railroad records. all shipments
Of live cattle which have been made dur
ing the last sixty days out Of any Of the
infected or suspected districts. The herds
Of animals so shipped are located and i'm
mediately examined by veterinarians. In
this way the presence Of foot-and- mouth
disease has been discovered in various
places In the present wide area now under
Federal quarantine. which includes Mass
achusetts. New York. Ohio. Pennsylvania.
Indiana. Illinois. Maryland. Michigan, Wis
consin and Iowa. Similarly. the numbers
Of all cars in which animals have been
transported from these districts have been
obtained. and these are being located and
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Following the imposition OF general
Federal quarantine. and the killing Of
actually infected herds. comes farm-to-
farm inspection Of the entire guaranteed
area. Later. when il becomes clear that
the disease has been localized. 1t will be
possible for the Federal and State authOri-
ties to free from quarantine all but the
actually infected counties or districts. and
allow the uninfected territories to resume
interstate shipments Of stock.
History Or PRESENT OUTBREAK
The present outbreak first appeared in
southern Michigan. How il was introduced
there Is not known. Shipments Of dis
eased hogs from this place which passed
10 Chicago are believed TO be responsible
for the infection Of the pens in the Union
Stockyards. Once the yards became in
fected. there was danger that every ship
ment Of live stock through Chicago to other
parts Of the country might pick up the
germs Of the disease and spread the con-
taeion These shipments, composed largely
Of feeders and stockers were sent to farms
for fattening and did not remain in Chicago
long enough for the disease to show itself
in external symptoms. Some Of the cat
tie. carrying the contagion. after shipment
develop external LESSONS and this accounts
for the outbreak Of the disease in States
as far apart as Iowa and Massachusetts.
For this reason large force Of Federal
inspectors is now running down every ship
ment and examining the animals or herds
at their places Of delivery.
At present the chief danger lies in the