A look into the future 



New Hampshire will be an example to other 

 States that brucellosis eradication is both de- 

 sirable and attainable with the methods and 

 tools now available. Many counties in other 

 States are now qualifying as brucellosis-free. 

 Those States that have not yet attained modi- 

 fied-certified status are intensifying their ef- 

 forts in order that they will not be too far 

 behind in the final eradication effort. 



SCABIES 



At the turn of the century, scabies was a 

 major problem confronting the livestock indus- 

 try. Today, after half a century of concen- 

 trated effort to eradicate the disease, it is still 

 a problem. 



The recent post 



Following;- a costly 40-year campaign that 

 began in the early 1900's, it was believed that 

 cattle scabies had been eradicated from the 

 western range States. For 2 successive years, 

 1948 and 1949, no infected herds were re- 

 ported. But, as a degree of complacency de- 

 veloped, reports of infected herds increased. 

 Annual figures reported were: 28 in 1954, 30 

 in 19.5.5, 7 in 1956, 25 in 1957, 4 in 1958. 27 

 in 1959, and 4 in 1960. 



In January and February 1959, psoroptic 

 .scabies was found in Kansas in Chase, Clark, 

 Ford, Gove, Kearny, Lane, Meade, and Wichita 

 Counties. On February 6, Clark, Gove, and 

 Meade Counties were placed under Federal 

 quarantine. State quarantine had been imposed 

 on these counties on January 31. All infected 

 and exposed herds w^ere treated, and the re- 

 maining herds w'ere inspected before warm 

 w^eather arrived. No additional infection was 

 disclosed. On May 28, Federal quarantines on 

 Clark and Meade Counties were lifted. An ad- 

 ditional inspection of all cattle in Gove County 

 was completed after the beginning of cold 

 weather in the fall, and all herds were found 

 free of scabies before the quarantine was lifted 

 on February 29, 1960. 



During 1959, psoroptic cattle scabies was 

 also found in Illinois (De Kalb, Du Page, Knox, 



and Ogle Counties) ; in Iowa (Clay, Emmett, 

 and Pottawattamie Counties) ; in Nebraska 

 (Dawson, Otoe, and Sarpy Counties) ; and in 

 Texas (Ochiltree and Hemphill Counties). 



Sheep scab on the increase 



The incidence of scabies in sheep has in- 

 crea.sed in recent years. With this increase 

 there has been a resultant rise in the number 

 of infected animals found at public stockyards. 

 Cases found at these yards are a reliable 

 barometer of infection reservoirs in the States 

 of origin. 



In Louisiana and Mississippi, however. Fed- 

 eral quarantines that had been in effect more 

 than 30 years were lifted July 8, 1957. The 

 Louisiana parishes affected were Allen, Beau- 

 regard, Calcasieu, and Vernon; and the Mis- 

 sissippi counties were Forrest, George, Greene, 

 Hancock, Harri-son, Jackson, Jones, Lamar, 

 Pearl River, Perry, Stone, Wayne, and Marion 

 County east of Pearl River. 



In 1957 and 1958 following the introduction 

 of sheep from out of State, Wyoming reported 

 outbreaks of sheep scabies. In November 1959, 

 psoroptic sheep scabies was diagnosed in seven 

 ewes imported from Pennsylvania into Boulder 

 County, Colo. The sheep entered Colorado 

 contrary to State requirements. The small 

 flock, which consisted of the .seven infected ani- 

 mals and eight other exposed sheep, was placed 

 under State quarantine and cu.stomary dipping 

 procedures were carried out. No other sheep 

 were involved and there had been no move- 

 ments from the infected flock. 



New Mexico reported sheep scabies in Lea 

 County in 1959, and at a packing plant in Ber- 

 nalillo County in 1960. All sheep at the pack- 

 ing plant where the disease was found were 

 quarantined, and infected and exposed sheep 

 slaughtered. Sheep purchased during the pre- 

 ceding 12 months were traced to locate the 

 source of the outbreak. Inspections failed to 

 reveal further evidence of scabies or the source 

 of infection. Prior to these outbreaks, scabies 

 w^as last reported in New Mexico in 1953. 



Training 



Training is an important aspect of scabies 

 eradication and has received increasing empha- 



