FERAL PIGS AND THE DISEASES THEY CARRY: AFFECTING HAWAI'I'S PEOPLE, BIRDS, AND LIVESTOCK

Ever dream of standing under one of Hawai'i's beautiful waterfalls on a hot day? Because the number of feral pigs, goats, and rats is now so high, most if not all of Hawai'i's freshwater streams are polluted with the diseases these animals carry. Take a doctor's advice: if you go in the water, keep your mouth shut. A more detailed description of leptospirosis can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site.

• Interestingly, Australia has feral animal problems very similar to Hawai'i's. The biggest difference is that Australia's government has refused to let hunting take precedence over protecting its environment. Their government takes the feral animal problem very seriously, and is taking definitive steps toward control. Australia is battling many diseases that are spread to humans as well as to domestic animals by feral animals. Because the number of feral pigs is so high in Australia, they are concerned about incoming diseases as well: "Should an exotic disease such as foot and mouth disease enter Australia, the feral pig population could make eradication impossible." - New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency

• The State of Hawaii Department of Health provides some information about selected pig-borne diseases at its web site. These include leptospirosis, campylobacteriosis, and anthrax.

• The threat to human health is just one of many reasons why introduced game animals should be limited to appropriate hunting areas and removed from sensitive ecosystems and watersheds. Contact your legislative representative about this issue. Phone calls are very effective--your rep wants to be reelected.