366 



VETERINARY HYGIENE 



The incidence of Sheep-Scab in the United Kingdom for the 

 three years 1912-1914 is shown in this table, which has been com- 

 piled from the official returns. 



Year 1912 1913 1914 Average 



ENGLAND. 



Census 14,504,489 13,736,438 13,651,965 13,964,297 



Outbreaks 134 105 122 120 



SCOTLAND. 



Census 7,004,367 6,801,126 7,025,820 6,943,771 



Outbreaks 57 46 48 50 



WALES. 



Census 3,548,876 3,393,848 3,607,729 3,516,814 



Outbreaks 110 84 56 83 



IRELAND. 



Census 3,828,829 3,620,724 3,600,581 3,683,378 



Outbreaks 386 565 474 475 



Outbreaks 



per 100,000 



animals. 



0-7 



2-3 



13- 1 



Methods of Transmission. Sheep-scab is transmitted within 

 a flock by direct contact of one animal with another and indirectly 

 from contact with contaminated rubbing-posts, tree trunks, hurdles, 

 gates, fences and pens. Fleece that has been pulled out by an 

 animal, or that has dropped out, holds the mites for a certain period, 

 and if it should become attached to posts and the like the next sheep 

 that rubs against the post may become infected. The disease is 

 spread from one country, or part of a country, to another through 

 the purchase of diseased animals, and it has been pointed out how 

 difficult it is to detect sheep-scab in other but distinctly affected 

 animals. It is known that scab is passed from Ireland and Scotland 

 into England, and that the passage of a consignment of sheep from 

 one country to another is not always a clear cut transaction, the 

 animals may change hands and become mixed en route. Common 

 grazing on moors and hills where a number of flocks run together 

 is a notorious means of spreading the disease. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES. Sheep-scab is a notifiable disease, 

 being scheduled under the Diseases Animals Act. Prevention of 

 the spread from an infected flock to other flocks is effected by com- 

 pulsory notification of the existence, or suspected existence, of the 

 disease and consequent isolation of the infected animals until such 

 time as the disease is eradicated. Portal inspection of sheep shipped 

 from one country to another, as from Ireland to Great Britain, 



