Letter to the editor

Abstract

Extract

Sir:- As Public Relations Officer for the Small Animal Society I have been carrying out surveys each week in Auckland on the current N.Z. distemper epidemic. It appears from reports received that probably every province in the North Island will become infected in due course. It will only be a matter of time before an infected dog crosses to the South Island. The cold dry environment of the Auckland winter favoured the survival of the virus away from the dog and it was hoped that the onset of warm moist weather would reduce the spread. This has not happened. In fact there has been a marked acceleration of spread throughout the country, especially in urban areas, probably due to a large susceptible unvaccinated dog population.