Gunnison news-champion., 1924-05-16
TmE root AND MOUTH DISEASE
tny c T. stcyensl


Foot and mouth disease. or aphthou.
| fever. IL an acute. highly communicable
disease. chiefly confined TO cloy.n-
f.9ted animal-- Essentially n disease
,ihie as are also sheep and goats
Next In order are: buffalo. american
/ bl.on: camel. channels, llama, giraffe,
aud poultry occasionally beeom. In
f.sted and the last three are partfrui-
ATTY dangerous as carriers OF COM
tho less susceptible than animaIs n
- not ns rule fatal TO man aItho
weakened children sometimes succuuD
thru the complication of intestinal
The disease may he recognized by
the combination Of high fever. an .rup-
TON or re,icics or blisters on the
MUCOUS mem brane Of the mouth and
on the skin between the toes and
above the houfs. These yesicles run
.mre, forming eresions and alterations
Ihere is salvation. fsmeneS-. emacla-
ton. loss OF appetite tenderness of az
fected parts. and dimunition of milk
secretion in cows
Animals usually take the diseaS. in
from three to six days after exposure
Exceptional cases In from 20 hours TO
is days or even longer. In mild form
recovery. while In mslignnt form.
three months To n year are needed.
Mortality is usually low. but IN. ami
mails are often useless for milk pro
duetion, and the boofs some times drop
possible.
Unlike most infectious diseases. foo,
and mouth disease may repeatedly at
tack the same animals The immunity
conferred by an attack is of limited
duration
very similar to those OF animals
The disease may be communicated
directly By touch. or indirectly by
means Of infected litter. hay utensils
drinking trouEhs. railway cars, stock
markets. barnyards and pastures II
may BE- carried upon shoes. clothing or
MIX In raw state can infect man or
animal. but is considered safe ~ past
curixed at 60 c. for twenty minutes.
Man may contract II by eating cheese.
butter. or by using milk in any form
from infected animals. or by contac,
thru the mucous membrane of the
mouth
II IL now conceded TINT foot and
mouth disease II proPagated by a
specific virus. and that every outbreak
starts from some pre-existing out
break. So far. Investigators have been
unable TO identify or isolate the speci-
fic organism. Experiments have shown
that the virus win pass thru standard
germ-proof flters. thus Indicating its
not been detected by laboratory meth
| DDS.
Zealand arc free from this dread dis
ease. which has been prevalent in Eu-
rope for centuries Central Europe IL
particular II exists in Japan. China
the Philippines and South America
In Germany IL prevailed continuously
| from isss until in 1911 II reached a
state Of virulence unequaled- In tina,
| year there were. in round numbers. !.
million cattle. IL million sheep. ~
million hogs. and $4,000 goats affected
At that time the total OF these ami
mails existent In Germany were bul
| about nfty-four million. while In tn.
| u. 8 there were about l73 million II
| can readily be imagined what would b.
| the result should II gain such foot
| hold here as II had in Germany then
since about one animal u seven WA
Foot and mouth disease has appeared
six times in the United States preyioui
/ to the California outbreak In 1870
| 1850, 1854. 1909. 1908. 1914. The Garlic
| lier epidemfcs were traced to importes
| cattle: the latter ones TO infected vac
cine Rigid quarantine and inspection
removed the first cause
| The most serious outbreak was II
1910 when twenty-five states and tn,
ranging from the Atlantic to the Paci
fc. This required more than a yea
| for eradication, cost the governmen
| about four and q half million dollars
and neceasitated the closing of tn
Chicago Union Stockyards for disinfec
Federal quarantine WAS issued Il
October. 1914. Diseased herds to tn
extent OF 17z.720 animals. fnciudin!
nine deer. were slaughtered and buried
and premises disinfected. Owners O
live stock and other property destroy
value In this case. nearly six mfliio
| doIIarn OF which the state paid hall
and the Federal government half
|