British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 329

CHAPTER IX.

(e) Frequent cases of epizootic lymphangitis in the Beisan area due to the smuggling of diseased equines from Trans-Jordan.

(fl The numerous outbreaks of fowl plague in Palestine directly due to the smuggling of infected birds from Egypt and Syria, where prices for slaughter poultry are considerably lower than those ruling in this country.

(g) The recent very serious epizootic of African horse-sickness, introduced from Egypt, which destroyed• 1,500 equines.

(h) The very serious epidemic of Newcastle disease in poultry now prevailing, most probably due to smuggling of infected stock from Syria.

32. It will thus be appreciated that most of the diseases affecting improved stock in advanced agricultural communities as well as many of those which occur in tropical and sub-tropical territories prevail and cause serious losses in Palestine. It is not possible in this short review to list these many and varied diseases in full, but a clear indication of Palestine'; problems is given by the following examples which include the more serious conditions from the economic viewpoint.

BOVINE DISEASES.

33. Temperate. Tuberculosis is widespread and its incidence is increasing annually in dairy herds. Contagious abortion is controlled by testing and segregation in some 200 farms, comprising about 14,000 valuable dairy cattle, most of them high-grade Friesians, but this disease is still prevalent in herds not included in this voluntary control scheme. Contagious mastitis is causing serious losses in dairy herds. Foot-and-mouth disease, although mild in type, causes many outbreaks annually and considerable economic loss. Anthrax is enzootic in Palestine and necessitates the prophylactic vaccination of stock where outbreaks occur. Sterility due to the many causes which produce this condition occurs in all advanced cattle-breeding areas. The various diseases of calves cause considerable annual losses due both to mortality and the stunting of calves which recover. Blackquartsr necessitates the vaccination of young stock in infected areas.

34. Sub-tropical. Of primary importance are tick-borne protozoa] diseases, the effects of which are especially severe in the high-grade cattle, but these also affect and cause loss of condition and some mortality in native herds. The most serious is theileriasis, but anaplasmosis and the babesia infections are both widespread, and severe outbreaks occur. Haemorrhagic septicaemia, which periodically breaks out and particularly affects

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