Vol. XII. No. 288. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS- 



149 



VETERINARY NOTES. 



HOOK WORM DISEASE IN SHEEP AND 

 OTHER ANIMALS.* 



The existence of this disease in the West Indies has 

 been proved on some few occasions, and the pui'pose of the 

 present article is to place on record such observations as 

 have been made, and to summarize the position for the 

 information of planters and other stock owners who may be 

 unacquainted with the literature of the disease. 



In local synonymy, the name most commonly applied 

 is 'mumps', under which it is known in St. Lucia and else- 

 where; also 'la gomme', by which it is called in Dominica. 



The various species of worms which cause the disease 

 in different animals belong to the genus Oesophi<gostonium, 

 of the sub family Strongylinae, family Strongylidae, of the 

 nematoda. The Oesophagostoma are threadlike in appear 

 ance, the length being about thirty to forty times the 

 thickness Tiiey vary in length from i- to 1 inch, the 

 female being somewhat longer and thick-r than the male. 

 They are cylindrical in shiipe and taper to a point at both 

 ends. Two at least of the more commonly known species 

 have their anterior ends bent into a hook, hence the name 

 hook worm. Not much is known as to their life-cycle. The 

 egos pass from the body of the host in the faeces; after 

 a lime the egg develops into a young embryo, in which 

 staoe it is ingested into the host with food or water, and 

 becomes attached to the raucous lining of the intestine. 

 One species, Ocsophayostomum colum/jianum,hnTto\\s through 

 into the sub-mucous coat of the intestine and there produces 

 a nodule — the well known nodular disease of the intestine. 



Of the different species occurring in the West Indies, 

 Oespkagostomum venulosum is thought to be the cause of 

 'la gomme" in Dominica, and Ocsophwiostomum coluiiManwu 

 is believed to cause nodular disease in St. Lucia and 

 St. Vincent It should be borne in mind that cattle- and 

 other animals are affected by similar parasites. 



The lirst symptom usually observed is a loss of condition 

 and general uulbriftiness from the lo.ss of blood caused by the 

 irritation and sucking of blood on the part of the worms. 

 Later the animal becomes thin and almost emaciated, 

 evinces great weakness and cachexia, and shows an almost 

 constant tendency to lie down By this time the disease is 

 nearlv always apparent from the pendulous abdomen and 

 a marked jjallor of the visible mucous membranes. The moat 

 marked symptom, however, is the dropsical swelling in the 

 throat, from which apparently the terms 'la gomme' and 

 'mumcs" are derived. There is a chronic enteritis (inflamma- 

 tion of the bowels) accompanied by a watery diarrhoea 

 Death may occur in three or four months while the animal 

 is in a comatose condition. 



Diagnosis depends on the weakness, pendulous abdomen, 

 throat swelling, and the detection of the worms or their eggs 

 in the faeces. 



The treatment of this disease has not up to the present 

 yielded satisfactory results. The administration of thymol 

 betanaphthol, arsenic or tartrate of antimony will expel the 

 worms, but will have little or no effect on ihe larvae encysted 

 in the wall of the intestine. The agent which his given the 

 most satisfactory results, and the one most commonly advised, 

 is thymol. For sheep this drug is given in doses of "20 to 30 

 grains, varying with age; it should be given in suspension in 

 glycerine or milk, on an empty stomach, for four or five 



* A further reference to worms in shepj) will be found on 

 page 150 of this issue. 



mornings, and then folio ired by a laxative such as 1 to 

 3 oz. of epsom salts. Individual animals should also be 

 treated according to the symptoms they show. Diarrhoea 

 may be checked by astringents and demulcents. In all cases 

 it is advisable to use a liberal supply of rock salt and tonics 

 such as sulphate of iron. ( lood nursing and nourishing fo^ds 

 are essential. 



On examining a dead sheep the anaemia which w..-^ i-vi- 

 dent in life is seen to be profound, the blood being deficient in 

 quantity and its colour being much paler than normal; the Hesh 

 al-o is pale The dropsy is seen to be general, but is most 

 apparent in the throat where it completely invades the tissues. 

 A considerable amount of fluid is usually found in the abdo- 

 men, the lungs suffer from the general oedema, and a piece 

 of lung may sink in water 



In nodular disease small elevations of the serous surface 

 of the bowel are found, varying up to J inch in size and 

 raised about !-inch or more above the surface. They may 

 be seen throughout the entire length of the intestine, from 

 the duodenum to the rectum, but they are commonest perhaps 

 in the caecum and colon. Similar small areas are found 

 occasionally, more particularly in well advanced cases, in 

 the liver, the mesenter.c glands and the lymphatic glands 

 of the pelvis. In 'la gomrae' there are no nodules so far as 

 linnted observations have made apparent, which fact suggests 

 some difference in the life-cycle. The adult worm, however, 

 is found in the intestine in large quantities. 



If a pasture or a water-.supply is known or suspectt d to 

 be infected, all animals should if possible be removed for 

 several jears till the parasites die out. The pastures should 

 be well drained, leaving no stagnant pools, and a top dress- 

 ing of lime or salt should be applied. Weeds and rank grass 

 should be cut down and burnt. It is advisable to cultivate 

 such land under Guinea corn, sweet potatoes and similar crops, 

 in rotation with pasture grass. The disease is most common 

 on damp low-lying pastures, the eggs requiring moisture for 

 their development; hence the most dangerous places of 

 infection are round the drinking pools, and a good supply of 

 clean water should be provided in their place by means of 

 troughs. A pasture which is free from the disease should 

 not be stocked with infected animals, but care should be 

 taken that animals going out to a new pasture should be 

 examined for the disease and, if found to be affected, subjected 

 to a course of treatment. The intestinal contents of 

 .slaughtered animals should be destroyed, or so disposed of as 

 to prevent further contamination It should also be borne 

 in mind that good nutritious food is probably the best 

 preventive of serious loss from the infestation, and efforts 

 should be made to ensure the best possible condition of all 

 animals 



It might serve a useful purpose if planters and others in 

 these islands would forward to the agricultural officer of the 

 Colony in which they reside, any specimens found which 

 appear to have a bearing on this disease, together with short 

 notes embodying the observations made. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture left 

 Barbados by the R.M.JS. 'Tagus', on May 5, for an official 

 visit to St.Lucia. Dr. Watts is expected to return on 

 or about May 12. 



Mr. P. T. Saunders, M.R.C.V.S, left Barbados for 

 Antigtui by the S.S. 'Korona', on April 25, in order to 

 make investigations in the Leeward Islands regarding 

 certain diseases of live stock 



