Hydatids eradication a
significant achievement

MAF's recent declaration of New ZeaLand's 'provisional freedom' from hydatids is a tribute to the hard work of many people over nearly 50 years, according to NZVA chief executive, Murray Gibb.

"Few people today realise hydatids was once a reasonably common disease in humans in this country, causing cysts in internal organs. It is now a thing of the past, thanks to the hydatids control scheme and the dedication of the people who made it work," says Mr Gibb.

Hydatids is a disease with a complex life cycle, involving dogs and other animals,usually sheep or cattle. The key to eradication is getting rid of the infection from dogs, and this has been achieved by stopping the feeding of uncooked offal and dosing dogs with a drug to get rid of the hydatids tapeworm. The 'dosing strip' where owners took their dogs for purging is now part of our national folklore, immortalised in the song By the Dog Dosing Strip at Dunsandel.

"The scheme involved a wide-reaching education campaign communicating to the public the importance of preventing dogs from eating raw offal and the need for dosing," says Mr Gibb. "It provides a classic campaign that perhaps surprisingly, was more dependent on good politics and unanimity of purpose than on science. It is unlikely that such a campaign would succeed in today's political climate. Its success is cause for celebration. Very few other countries have managed to achieve what New Zealand has done with hydatids.

"However, we are still at risk of reintroducing hydatids in imported animals so we need to maintain control measures. Animal owners and farmers may need reminding it is still illegal to feed raw offal to dogs," he said.

This happy, healthy pup should have no hydatids problems, thanks to eradication of the disease in New Zealand.