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Animal disease control, regional programs
208 hard]o should be listed along with Leptospira pomona as an etiological agent. Most authorities would dispute the statement that potassium iodide therapy is usually effective in curing bovine actinomycosis. Also, anaplasmosis should not be listed with piroplasmosis as a cause of bloody urine in cattle. In spite of these deficiencies, Livestock Manual for the Tropics deserves a place in the library of those individuals concerned with livestock production in the Caribbean. J.A. HOWARTH (Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A.)
DISEASE CONTROL Animal Disease Control, Regional Programs, Robert P. Hanson and Martha G. Hanson, Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA U.S.A., 1983, 340 pp., US $22.50, ISBN: 0-8138-0121-4. This is an extremely useful publication which has been needed for a long time, both by graduate students in preventive medicine and epidemiology as well as veterinarians in government service. The chapter titles give a small indication of the range of subjects covered: Regional programs; Cost of animal disease; Climate, land and people; Livestock production systems; Livestock marketing and disease control; Legal foundations; Related institutions; Ongoing research programs; Ongoing training programs; Ongoing control programs; Environmental impact; Economic benefits and social priority; Rural communication; Disease control task force; Program evaluation. It draws on the authors' extensive experience covering many years and a number of countries, as well as published and unpublished government documents, and the hurley-burley of reality. However, it is not without defects, none of which are major. Firstly, the book has a poor appearance and ease of reading because the 12 pitch was printed as if it were 10 pitch and the words are pulled apart to have a justified right margin without photo-reduction. As more and more texts like this are prepared for printing by their authors instead of by the publishers, we can unfortunately expect to see increasing numbers of non-professional presentations. The fault lies with the publishers, not with the authors. Similar problems occur with the figures and diagrams, m a n y of which have reproduced poorly; some are smudged and difficult to read; a few are inadequately titled and others contain extraneous detail which is not explained in the adjacent script (for example some of the detail on a figure about the Newcastle disease eradication program in California on page 308 has its
209 explanation on page 151). Secondly, in order to compress the volume of knowledge into this one book, some of the chapters are superficial and through simplification not completely accurate; e.g., in the 2 chapters covering economic aspects of disease and control. Bob Hanson has been intimately involved in a number of national and international programs and their reference to these and related programs adds to the value of this publication. Unfortunately, his discretion makes some comments and observations so opaque as to be all but meaningless; at one point he obscures the fact that he is discussing the U.S.A. much less V.E.E. and the USDA during 1970--71, which if it were mentioned would underline the importance of the point he is making about the need to document decisions. In parallel with this sometimes excessive caution, they have, on occasion, accepted information from government publications when their special knowledge would certainly have given them doubts as to the dependability of the statements quoted; e.g., present knowledge would idicate that the 1967---68 F.M.D. epidemic in England originated probably from a single focus and was not polyfocal, as suggested by the Northumberland Report. At times the reader might wish for a less all-encompassing style; one example can suffice "Diseases handled by depopulation usually have a short incubation period (foot-and-mouth disease, hog cholera, and viscerotropic velognic Newcastle disease), but may also be chronic (ectromelia) or have a very long incubation period (scrapie)." A number of the chapters start well, but lose m o m e n t u m and direction, leaving the reader mildly perplexed although the detail may be fascinating. But this is a very valuable book, and whatever weaknesses it may have, they are also part of its strength. The advice and directions are sound and will initiate many a valuable discussion with graduate classes, and the references and suggested further papers add depth to the script especially as they cover an international spectrum. It would be helpful if the microcomputer models they refer to could be made available as an appendix. We have too few useful text-books in epidemiology and disease control and I am sure that this one will survive through many editions. Now, when can we look forward to seeing epidemiology texts from Martin, Meek and Willeberg at Guelph and from Morris at Minnesota? -
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M. HUGH-JONES (Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, U.S.A.)
DISEASE CONTROL Animal Disease Control, Regional Programs, Robert P. Hanson and Martha G. Hanson, Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA U.S.A., 1983, 340 pp., US $22.50, ISBN: 0-8138-0121-4. This is an extremely useful publication which has been needed for a long time, both by graduate students in preventive medicine and epidemiology as well as veterinarians in government service. The chapter titles give a small indication of the range of subjects covered: Regional programs; Cost of animal disease; Climate, land and people; Livestock production systems; Livestock marketing and disease control; Legal foundations; Related institutions; Ongoing research programs; Ongoing training programs; Ongoing control programs; Environmental impact; Economic benefits and social priority; Rural communication; Disease control task force; Program evaluation. It draws on the authors' extensive experience covering many years and a number of countries, as well as published and unpublished government documents, and the hurley-burley of reality. However, it is not without defects, none of which are major. Firstly, the book has a poor appearance and ease of reading because the 12 pitch was printed as if it were 10 pitch and the words are pulled apart to have a justified right margin without photo-reduction. As more and more texts like this are prepared for printing by their authors instead of by the publishers, we can unfortunately expect to see increasing numbers of non-professional presentations. The fault lies with the publishers, not with the authors. Similar problems occur with the figures and diagrams, m a n y of which have reproduced poorly; some are smudged and difficult to read; a few are inadequately titled and others contain extraneous detail which is not explained in the adjacent script (for example some of the detail on a figure about the Newcastle disease eradication program in California on page 308 has its
209 explanation on page 151). Secondly, in order to compress the volume of knowledge into this one book, some of the chapters are superficial and through simplification not completely accurate; e.g., in the 2 chapters covering economic aspects of disease and control. Bob Hanson has been intimately involved in a number of national and international programs and their reference to these and related programs adds to the value of this publication. Unfortunately, his discretion makes some comments and observations so opaque as to be all but meaningless; at one point he obscures the fact that he is discussing the U.S.A. much less V.E.E. and the USDA during 1970--71, which if it were mentioned would underline the importance of the point he is making about the need to document decisions. In parallel with this sometimes excessive caution, they have, on occasion, accepted information from government publications when their special knowledge would certainly have given them doubts as to the dependability of the statements quoted; e.g., present knowledge would idicate that the 1967---68 F.M.D. epidemic in England originated probably from a single focus and was not polyfocal, as suggested by the Northumberland Report. At times the reader might wish for a less all-encompassing style; one example can suffice "Diseases handled by depopulation usually have a short incubation period (foot-and-mouth disease, hog cholera, and viscerotropic velognic Newcastle disease), but may also be chronic (ectromelia) or have a very long incubation period (scrapie)." A number of the chapters start well, but lose m o m e n t u m and direction, leaving the reader mildly perplexed although the detail may be fascinating. But this is a very valuable book, and whatever weaknesses it may have, they are also part of its strength. The advice and directions are sound and will initiate many a valuable discussion with graduate classes, and the references and suggested further papers add depth to the script especially as they cover an international spectrum. It would be helpful if the microcomputer models they refer to could be made available as an appendix. We have too few useful text-books in epidemiology and disease control and I am sure that this one will survive through many editions. Now, when can we look forward to seeing epidemiology texts from Martin, Meek and Willeberg at Guelph and from Morris at Minnesota? -
-
M. HUGH-JONES (Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, U.S.A.)