TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 4

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

GAINING A FIRMER FOOTHOLD. Referring to the tuberculosis scourgo iu his annual report to tlio Minister for 1 Agriculture (date May .10), Mr. C. /. Reakes, Director of tlio Live Stock and Meat Division, regrets that the evidenco available points to the fact that this disease is gaining a tinner foothold among cattle and pigs in the Dominion. Tho statistics obtained from tho Inspectors at abattoirs and meat-export slaughterhouses, covering the results of the post mortem examination of 2!G,7!)7 cattlo (including calves) and 107,097 pigs, show a slight increase in the number of tubercular cattle, observed. In the caso of pigs a considerable increaso occurred, but this can partially be accounted for by the fact that,. owing to the extension; of pig-inspection, the number of pigs ex l , amincd last year was'42.sU more, than in the preceding year, and a considerablo proportion of Iheso additional pigs, were drawn I'roin districts where cattle tuberculosis is most prevalent. In additiou to the carcases condemned . on slaughter- by inspectors 'of meat,' 2G!)l ' liead of cattle were condemned in' the' licid for tuberculosis by' inspectors 'of slock. All these condemnations, necessary though they be, not only necessitate a heavy expenditure on the part of the State 'in the payment of compensation, but also constitute a severe loss to stockowners, and indirectly to tho community as a whole. Mr. .Reakes computes the value of the stock condemned at JC53.310; and, seeing that this value is based on the actual market valuo of the animals at the time of slaughter, the actual aggregate loss through the prevalenco of tlio . disease is really greater, since, as.aresult. of tho, effects, of the diseasij upon them, many of these had become considerably . depreciated in value when condemned. .' It must.bo borne in mind that a.steady annual increase'.in the number of tubercular animals found has occurred for, somo wars past, and.-iii order.to. safeguard, tho, 'interests of both- stockowhers and,'tax T payers in the future, it is imperative thatsome effective practical step bo taken to not only .check this steady progress of the disease, but to endeavour-to get it under control, and bring about an annual reduction in the number of.cases, instead of an annual increaso, as at present. It is sometimes argued that more good could bo' dor.o by more rigid inspection of herds, and the detection and slaughter of more adult tubercular cattle. The adoption of. such a measure alone vrould not bring about the desired end,'and, moreover, would be illogical, so long as each year's crop of Calves is reared largely under conditions which render a considerable proportion of the young animals liable to contract tho disease from infected separated milk or whey. If wo could insure that tho calvos are kept free from infection,, rational 'and reason--, able methods of systematically. - dealing;' effectively with the older stock could be. adopted with confidence. It must not be assumed that rational and reasonable methods are not now in operation. One of the principal duties of tho Field Veterinarians and of Inspectors of Stock is the detection of tubercular animals, and the number of condemnations recorded above affords a clear indication of the vigorous manner in which this duty is pertormed. Hut at present it moans working at one end only—killing off adult animals while at the same time rearing a fresh and ever-increasing crop of tubercular calves every year. But it is not only among cattle, but among pigs also, that this disease is prevalent, and costly. The prevalence of tuberculosis among pigs has not only proved a serious drawback to the development of a profitable export trade in frozen pork,-bacon, and hams, but has also entailed a . loss upon producers and "bacon-factory owners through the condemnation of pigs intended both for local consumption and for export. , , • •• Seeing that the general adoption of proper pasteurisation of separated milk aad . whev at all dairy factories and -cream, cries would have tho effect of reducing this loss to a minimum, it is more than ever necessary that it bo adopted with as little delav as possible. Mr. Reakes adds that l>otli the Director of tho Dairyproduce Division and himself have persistentlv advocated this, aided. by the officers of their respective divisions, and have had the full support of .the Minister. Tho proprietaries of the various dairy factories have shown a desire to fall in with this most necessary movement, but action on their part has been, generally speaking, sluggish, largely in consequence of the fact that, in order to do the work properly, expenditure in the direction of providing greater boiler-power is necessary on their part; but the annual cost of tuberculosis is far greater, than would be the cost of pasteurisation, and this fact must be recognised, especially _in view of the evil future results which must follow a policy of procrastination More cases of tuberculosis in poultry camo under notice, and Mr. Rcake= strongly recommends that pomtrr be brought within the scope of the Stock \ct in order that this and other diseases —avian diphtheria, chicken cholera, etc. -can bo effectively dealt with. It is " satisfactory, however, tonots that p<ml-trv-keepers. when informed by the Department that contagious disease exists anion" their stock, have adopted the advice g"ivcn in the matter of properly d'ial- , ing with the outbreak.