TUBERCULOSIS IN MILK

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26856, 8 October 1952, Page 8

TUBERCULOSIS IN MILK

PARENTS* APPEAL TO CONSUMERS DISEASE CONTRACTED BY CHILD An appeal to" parents of young children to give their children either pasteurised or raw milk which had been scalded, in preference to raw milk, was made last evening by Mr J. Roberts, of Wilson’s road, St. Martins. Mr and Mrs Roberts are the parents of a five and a half-year-old boy who contracted bovine tuberculosis when he was aged two and a half. Three months ago the disease flared up again after a three years' interval and it was found necessary to „n. a ve an operation performed. •We have no axe to grind over this milk question, but if people are determined to buy raw milk, then in fairness to their children they should scald it." said Mr Roberts. He said that before he shifted to Christchurch he was living at Hanmer Springs. Where his children, and the majority of other children in the district had been brought up on full cream dried milk. When he had shifted to Christchurch he bought raw milk. Not long after his arrival, one of the children, John, contracted a disease that was diagnosed by a specialist as bovine tuberculosis. A large lump appeared on the boy’s neck and it only went down after three months of treatment. Investigations were made at the dairy from which the milk had been distributed, but these revealed that the milk could have come from one of five herds supplying the dairy and it had not been possible to ascertain from which herd the milk had come. During the next three years the disease appeared to be dormant, but about three months ago, after the boy had suffered attacks of measles and mumps, it flared up again. He was placed in hospital where he stayed for seven weeks. Soon after he returned home the symptoms reappeared, however, and last week he entered hospital again and an operation was performed on him. “He Is not the only child who has contracted the disease.” said Mr Roberts. “At the present time there are five children in the Christchurch Public Hospital suffering from bovine tuberculosis. One child has been In hospital with the disease for two years and a half. “This is intended as an appeal to

parents of young children to pasteurised milk or raw milk that M been scalded," said Mr Roberts. had heard people sav that th« been drinking raw milk for yesrsb" it had not affected them. There cases, however, when persons contracted bovine tuberculosis throwdrinking raw milk.