A DREADED DISEASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 8

A DREADED DISEASE.

CONTROL OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. Tiilwrciilnsts in cattle, (hough preventable, is found in almost every locality in anil means by which it is spread arc known (lie problem is, says the Washington State Agricultural Experiment Station, to keep it out of the healthy herds, and (o eradicate it from the diseased one.?. All that need be done is to remove the diseased cattle, disinfect the premises, prevent contact with other diseased herds, and add only healthy animals to the healthy herds. This sounds easy, but certain characteristics of tuberculosis render it quite difficult. For instance, tuberculosis is somewhat slow in its development, and in the early stages the animal shows no outward signs of the disease, is though* to he lie.ilthy, and is used as a healthy animal, while it really is spreading the disease. Test With Tuberculin. Early diagnosis is necessary* As there arc no dependable, visible signs in the early stages, the problem of positive diagnosis is all important. However. • the tmbproulin test has been' devised, and is reliable when used by competent and experienced moh. If the herd ir. healthy, one should purchase only tuberculin-tested animals, which have come from reliable herds. If thev come from doubtful herds they should be kept isolated for three months and re-fofted. If the test, shows oiily n few diseased animals in the herd, they should be removed at once, and the stahlo disinfected. If the diseased animals oro of a special value for breeding they may be l;ept isolated, and the offspring remoTod at birtij nnd never allowed to fe;d upon the milk of the diseased cow unless the milk is pasteurised. Making a New Herd. If the majority of the herd is diseased, it i> necessary to treat them all as disan.scd, and to build up a new herd from the offspring. This is possible by removing the calves at. birth and feeding them pasteurised milk and testing them every six months, so that the. discard, if there should be any, may bo taken from the new herd before they, begin to spread the disease. This requires' scver.il y«nrs' time. RT«it perseverance in preventing the disease, from being transmitted to the new herd, and persistent use of the tuberculin test.

Wo must have systematic and regular tuberculin testing. The disease is a slowly-developing nun: hence, (o oradicate it requires several vears of systematic and co-operative work on ilie p-irt of both stockmen and veterinarians. If overy community did ids share of this work, eventually tliey would be rid of this dreaded disease. '