VuL. xrri. No. 30£ 



THE Ar;i;iCULTUKAL NEWS. 



LIVE STOCK NOTES. 



THE POSITION OF THE NORTHERN 



ISLANDS IN REGARD TO MAL DE 



CADERAS. 



The question has arisen as to whether it is desirable 

 for the several West Indian governments of the Windward 

 and Leeward Islands to take steps for tlie prevention of 

 the introduction of infective sources of the equine disease 

 iiial de caderas (disease of the haunches) from British 

 Guiana and other South American countries. Definite 

 enquiry on this point was received some time ago from the 

 Government of Grenada and there can be little doubt that 

 it is urgent!}- necessary to give the matter careful consid- 

 eration, although since there have been no outbreaks in the 

 islands so far, the position is not to be regarded as 

 alarming. 



The points which seem to require decisive opinion are 

 whether it is desirable to prohibit the importation of horses, 

 mules and asses from countries where the disease is known 

 to exist, or whether inspection at the port of entry may be 

 deemed to aflford adequate protection; also whether it is 

 necessary in this connexion to regulate the importation of 

 aniiiials other than horses, mules and u-=es. Before pro- 

 ceeding to put forward the opinions of the Veterinary Otticer 

 of this Departnient on the sulject, the attention of the 

 reader may be called to previous inform ition connected with 

 the disease which ajipeared in the Agncultiiral X'tws, 

 \ ol. XI, No. 304 (and former references). 



In a memorandum recently forwarded to the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture, the Veterinary Officer 

 (Mr P. T. Saunders, M It.C.V.S.) puts forward his views in 

 regard to the points raised in the above paragraph. At the 

 commencement it is observed that, ^lI though the disease 

 is recorded as being confined to South America, cases of 

 the disease may have occurred in other places, as for instance 

 Barbados. It is a matter of considerable difficulty to 

 diagnose definitely Irypanosome diseases by means of the 

 symptoms alone, and cases which have been looked upon as 

 being surra might possibly have been mal de caderas. 



The most important aspect to be considered is the 



possibility of communication to the West Indian islands from 

 South America. The trade relations in live stock between 

 British Guiana and the West Indian islands are almost 

 negligible. The only e.\ample which appears to be more 

 or less constant is the sending of race hor.ses to the various 

 meetings held in the ditierent colonies. The danger here 

 would appear to be greatly minimized it the horses were 

 known not to have been in or near an infected area. Owing 

 to the fact that the causal agent of the (iisea.se (Trypatiosoma 

 equina) is only to be found in the blood in any number 

 during the febrile stages and is absent in the later stages 

 or is to be found very rarely; and since the disease is prob- 

 ably carried by a biting tiy which can only convey the disease 

 when It has sucked blood from an animal in the febrile stage 

 (which 18 not of long duration though it is remittent)— from 

 these considerations— together with the circumstance that 

 small areas can be mapped out as infected— it would seem 

 that the disease may be more or less easily controlled and that 

 the danger of communication is not great. 



A very important matter in regard to the danger of 

 infection rests upon the idea that 'reserv -irs' may exist; that 



is to say, animals other than equines may contract the disease 

 though they may not exhibit its symptoms. It will be 

 remembered that some time ago this was emphasized in (he 

 A;jricnlUa;d News and the classical example afforded by 

 iMalta fever was referred to. The most susceptible animals 

 in regard to trypanosome diseases are rodents, though many 

 other animals are supposed to be capable of acting as 

 'reservoirs in the same way. It would appear therefore that 

 considerable danger exists in Trinidad where cattle are 

 imported from Venezuela for slaughtering for meat. But it is 

 only rarely that animals are imported from British Guiana 

 or from the mainland of South America into the smaller 

 islands. Occasionally an animal is imported from Trinidad, 

 but iu this case it is probably from the Government Stock 

 Farm and the animals will therefore have been under close 

 observation for some considerable time. A circumstance of 

 a very pertinent nature, is the fact that in spite of close 

 communication with the mainland no outbreak has yet 

 occurred in Trinidad. 



In considering the danger of infection in regard to the 

 duration of the disease it must be borne in mind that the 

 long duration makes an infected animal longer a source of 

 actual danger, and it is conceivable that the disease may pass 

 unnoticed until the paralysis of the hind quarters is evident, 

 whereat the animal is most infected at a period before that 

 symptom is exhibited. 



From the point of view of disease prevention the most 

 effective action to take would be to prohibit the importation 

 of horses, mules, asses, cattle and small stock altogether from 

 South America, and, in addition, from those islands like Trini- 

 dad and Barbados which are in constant communication with 

 the mainland. But such a course does not appear to be 

 altogether desirable. For one thing the trade in live stock 

 would be completely at a standstill and the slow spread of 

 the disease in confined areas in Berbice would not appear to 

 warrant such stringent measures. .Moreover inspection at 

 the port of entry would preclude the importation of any 

 obviously diseased animal. It may be noted that legislation 

 is already in action in the case of Grenada for the prohibition 

 of the importation and slaughter of imported animals should 

 this be necessary. 



In conclusion, Mr. Saunders recommends that the 

 importation of live stock should be prohibited from countries 

 known to be infected with mal de caderas, into Trinidad, 

 Barbados and the Windward Islands. Prohibition is unnecess- 

 ary in the case of the Leeward Islands because the trade in 

 animals between this Colony and South America is negligible. 

 It is not considered necessary to prohibit importation from 

 places where the disease has not occurred though they may 

 be in communication with infected countries. Incidentally, 

 however, in the case of every colony, great care should be 

 exercised in the matter of .sending race horses to the various 

 meetings. 



Animals other than equines probably act as 'reservoir.s' 

 and it would appear to be desirable to prohibit their impor- 

 tation from places where mal de caderas is known to occur, 

 until further study of the disease shows definitely that they 

 are not grave sources of infection. 



The fact that no outbreak has occurred in Trinidad 

 in spite of its close communication with the South American 

 countries, does not tend to lead one to regard the subject 

 under consideration as a very alarming one. Mr. Saunders in 

 fact seems to be rather undecided as to whether any very 

 stringent measures are yet really necessary or advisable if 

 they are going to interfere seriously with trade. 



