The Coconino sun., 1924-05-02
FOOT AND MOUTH GERM.
ATTACKS MOST KINDS OF
ANIMALS AND HUMANS

| DR.. S. r. Douglass, state veterinar-
| ian, has written to all county agents
of the agricultural extension service
of the University of Arizona, and has
| asked them to report to him any sus-
picious cases of cattle that they think
may be infected with the foot and
mouth disease.
The agricultural extension service
has recently received a bulletin pub
Hshed by the department of agricul-
ture on the foot and mouth disease,
and is distributing copies Of the bull
letin to those who apply for it.
While the foot and mouth disease
may be regarded as essentially dis
ease Of cattle, the tremendous ravages
| of the disease are seen in the NUM-
Der and variety of the species attack
| ed. Hogs appear to be an easy prey
of the disease, as well as sheep and
+ goats. Horses, dogs, cats and even
poultry may occasionally become in
fected with the disease the bulletin
| says, with the last three being partic-
ularly dangerous as carriers of the
contagion. Man himself is not inn
mune, adds the bulletin, and the fire.
quency of his infection by coming in
contact with diseased animals is es-
tahlished by numeA Gus observations.
Investigators have so far been un-
able to identify or isolate the specific
organism causing the disease, though
numerous attempts have been made
to cultivate and stain it by laboratory
methods.
Animals may become infected di-
rectly, as by licking, or indirectly, BY
such things as infected hay, utensils,
drinking troughs or railway cars. HUI
man beings may carry the virus on
their clothes and shoes, while it may
also be carried by dogs, cats, rats,
chickens, pigeons, etc.
Unlike most infectious diseases, the
bulletin says that the foot and mouth
disease may attack the same animals
repeatedly.
Regarding the losses caused by the
disease, the mortality is comparative
~ low, ranging from only per cent
or less in mild forms to 80 or 40 per
cent in malignant cases. But there
are other sources Of loss which are
much more important than the actual
mortality, such as the loss in flesh
of the animals and the lessening of
the milk supply.
The foot and mouth disease has
prevailed in Europe for great many
years, says the bulletin, and has oc-
casioned tremendous economic losses
there. The plague has existed long
in Italy, France, Switzerland, Bel
GUM, the Netherlands, Germany,
Russia and most other countries of
continental Europe, and has gained
such a foothold that it is economical
" impossible to fight it with Amer
lean methods of slaughter and disin-
lection.
On the question of methods of COM
batting outbreaks, British govern
ment committee which was appointed
in 1922 to investigate, reported: "We
are in agreement with the majority
of witnesses !. that the policy of
slaughter is the correct one and
should be maintained"
The foot and mouth disease has ap-
peared In the United States previous
to the present one six times: 1870,
1880, 1884, 1902, 1908 and 1914. The
first outbreak in 1870 was introduced
by way Of Canada, where the infec-
tion was brought in by an importa-
ton Of cattle from Scotland
In three to six days or even longer
after the exposure of the animal to
the infection, the disease makes its
appearance, the bulletin states. 1t is
usually first indicated by the animal
suffering from chill, quickly fol-
lowed by an invasion Of fever. Fol
lowing this, in one or two days it will
be noticed that small blisters about
the size of peas make their appear
ance upon the mucous membranes OF
the mouth at the border and upper
surface of the tongue. AS the disease
advances, the blisters become more
extensive. Several days later similar
eruptions make their appearance up
on swollen regions of the foot.
As soon as the disease has become
well established the animal evinces
pain when attempting to eat, and in
some cases refuses food. In the cases
where the disease proves fatal, the
disease may attack some of the inter-
nal organs in which case the animal
UeS lTOiH pdfdIy SiS VI lie ucdIt, VI ~
may suffocate by action Of poisons
on the tissues, Of the lungs, or it may
choke to death as a result of paralysis
Of the throat.
As to the disease in man, the bulle-
tin asserts that the foot and mouth
disease is primarily and principally a
disease of cattle; secondarily and cas-
ually, a disease Of man.
1t is transmitted to man through
the eating or drinking of raw milk,
butter iilk,s butter, cheese and whey
from animals suffering from the dis
ease. Children are sometimes infect
ed by drinking unboiled milk, while
persons in charge Of diseased animals
may become infected through contact
with the animals. But few outbreaks
of the disease have occurred in this
country and therefore cases sof its
transmission to man in this country
are quite rare, although human af-
feetion is BY no means uncommon in
countries where the disease prevails. |
Experiments indicate that the m
fection is comparatively easy to. de-
stroy by heat or the usual antiseptics.
According to the, bulletin, milk pas