TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28536, 15 March 1958, Page 9

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

Voluntary Scheme Advocated

Of the important dairying countries in the world New Zealand had probably made the least progress in the control and eradication of tuberculosis in cattle, said Dr. J. W. McLean, head of the veterinary department at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, when members of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Friesian Association visited the college for a field day. Dr. McLean said that the compulsory testing of all herds on city milk supply was now well under way, and it was encouraging to see that voluntary measures for the control of the disease in factory herds were now being taken in many districts. Farmers were becoming increasingly conscious of the need to institute more vigorous measures for the control of a disease that was not only of economic importance, to the dairy and pig industries of the country, but also of some significance from the point of view of public health. While the great majority of urban people had a safe milk supply because of the almost universal practice of milk pasteurisation and the control measures at present in operation, the same could not always be said of the rural population. Quoting figures from a. paper read by a medical officer at the annual conference of the New Zealand Veterinary Association in Auckland this year, Dr. McLean said that from the data available it was estimated that certainly not more than 4 to 5 per cent, of the cases of tuberculosis in humans were of bovine origin. This was roughly equivalent to 650 cases in New Zealand or 100 new cases a year. Logical Plan At present he said that there were 1200 herds in New Zealand that were free of the disease. To increase the number of diseasefree herds the logical plan was to expand the eradication programme first in those areas where the incidence was low, as for example in the South Island where the over-all incidence was probably lower than 2 per cent. Such a procedure would be of great assistance to city milk producers by making available to them a supply of replacement stock from disease-free herds. In the voluntary programme the proposal was to allow farmers, if they so wished, to retain cows that reacted to the tuberculin test for a specified time. If the incidence was low most farmers would prefer to dispose of all reactors immediately and thus obtain a disease-free herd more quickly. On the other hand, where the incidence was high it did provide an opportunity for the farmer to plan ahead and make the necessary arrangements for replacement stock. Mr C. J'. McFadden, chairman of the Canterbury Dairy Farmers. Ltd., said that in a short time the herds supplying Christchurch with milk would be free of the disease. He asked whether Dr. McLean would advocate that the factory herds in this area should be required to test also. Dr. McLean said that he believed that the factory suppliers should start now with a testing programme on a voluntary basis. In his view the impetus must come originally from the farmer. Later, almost certainly, compulsion would have to be used with the few who refused to cooperate. ’