Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-02-17
THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
IN EUROPE.
(Ernnl Dana rf nanf Of Ayricnlfnrol'o

News Letter.)
Because of the prevalence of foot
and mouth disease in Europe and
South America, importations of live
stock are now limited practically tc
shipments from Great Britain, Ire
land, and tho Channel Isles. Even
with these countries trade has, been
interrupted several times in recent
years, for the government does not
permit the importation of animals
from countries where the disease
exists, and there have been several
outbreaks in Great Britain lately.
Up to November, 1906, American
ports were open to Belgium and
Holland. In that month, however,
some sheep were taken into Belgium
from France where the disease was
quite prevalent and brought the pes
| thence with them. By the end of
the year every Province in Belgium
was affected, and Holland as we'll.
Since that time both of these coun-
tries have been fighting the disease,
| but have not yet succeeded in eradi-
eating it.
In Italy, Franco, Switzerland, Ger
many, and Russia the plague has
existed so long and has gained such
. foothold that it is economically i'm
possible to fight it with the American
methods of slaughter and disinfection
for to do so would be to kill large
percentage Of the live stock in these
countries. In consequence, the auth
critics appear to be making little or
no progress in their campaign. The
outbreak, for example, which appear
ed in Germany in 1888 increased
steadily until 1892 when it diminish
ed gradually for few years but
again reached great proportions in
1899. Thereafter it continued to
exist to a greater or less extent I'M
til in 1911 it attained virulence
unequaled before. In that year g.
1868 cattle, 1,602,927 sheep, 1885,
81 hogs, and 53,674 goats were af-
fected. At that time the total num-
Der Of cattle, sheep, swine, and goats
i Germany was only 5l,3l9,OOO,
while there were in the United State
l72, 572,000, or between three and
four times as many. 1t can readily
be imagined, therefore, what it would
mean to the United States if the
disease was to gain the foothold here
that it had in Germany, where, as
these figures show, approximately
one out of seven of the animals
susceptible to the disease was affect
ed.
Since the mortality in the disease
is comparatively low, ranging from
only per cent in mild forms to 30
or 40 per cent in malignant cases,
the havoc caused by the pestilence
is sometimes underestimated. From
the work of various scientists, how
ever, who have endeavored to ascer-
tain the decrease in value of ar ami
NAL which RECEIVERS from an attack.
it may be said that on an average
this amounts in Germany to 81 and
in Holland to $40. In this country,
correspondingly greater. If these
that the amount Of money spent in
significant in comparison with the
loss it causes when left to itself.
The German government, of course.
more recent outbreaks it attempted
to control by the American method
of slaughter, but the pestilence had
gained too much Roadway and was
too firmly established in too many
pOTt1OnS OF inc country LOT LnlS
method to succeed, and the slaugh-
ter of the infected herds had to be
abandoned. 1t now appears that
there is no hope of getting rid of
it until the virus has worn itself
out At present it seems that as
soon as the animals period of &C.
quired immunity is over and favor
able conditions present themselves,
tho conta pion hreakS ont with ro.
newed virulence, so that the author
hdea have eopF2n T. ba all
guarantees. One scientist. indeed,
fected farms were absolutely isolat-
ed and the movement not only Of
livestock but of persons absolutely