TUBERCULAR COWS

Evening Star, Issue 21721, 16 May 1934, Page 2

TUBERCULAR COWS

ELIMINATION URGED QUALITY OF PRODUCE LESSON FROM U.S.A. A suggestion that .New Zealand should make every effort to eliminate bovine tuberculosis from the dairy herds of the dominion was made by Mr \V. .1. Broadfoot, M.P., in an interview with a Wellington ‘ Post ’ representative. He said that New Zealand, by virtue of her mild climate, had natural advantages over practically all her competitors, and could produce high-quality dairy products at a lower price than most of the oilier countries of the world. ‘■Our universal 'grass-feeding methods give our dairy products very high vitamin content, much higher than is obtained by stall feeding,” said Mr Broadfoot. “ If, in addition to this, we eliminated bovine tuberculosis from our herds, our products for quality and purity would be unrivalled in the world. In such circumstances our dairy produce would have a ready sale, and I am confident that we would be able to dispose of the whole of our output at a payable, price to the producer. The question naturally arises: Can we cleanse our herds of this tuberculosis scourge? For evidence on this point we must examine the position in other countries and ascertain what is being done by our competitors. UNITED KINGDOM HERDS. “ In the United Kingdom a general estimate gives the percentage of affected dairy cows as from 20 per cent, to 40 per cent., although other estimates have made it much higher. A bulletin published last year by the British Medical Association gives the results of the application of the tuberculin tost to sixteen dairy herds in which no cows showed outward manifestations of tuberculosis. in these herds the average affected was 53.1 per cent. In sixteen other herds in which there were cows showing outward indications of the disease, the percentage of reactions to the test was 82.3 per cent. In 1923 the figures for Denmark were 30 per (‘out. based on abattoir inspections. In Denmark of late years much tuberculin testing has been done, and in one test covering twenty-three herds, where formerly the percentage was 69, it has been reduced to 0.3. In 1928, out of the 3,044 herds tested, 914 were undergoing their first test, and the percentage of cows affected was 16.19. in 1931 out of 2,483 herds tested, including 1,119 for the first time, the percentage was only 5.7. The percentage in Denmark is apparently improving rapidly. At the same time, although much cleaning up has been done there, the percentage of reactions still remains high. “In 1931 the Swedish authorities tested 688 herds for the first time, and the percentage showing infection varied from 28.9 to 43. Last year a percentage of 22.1 was recorded in the 2,001 herds undergoing their first test. In 1923 the percentage of infection in Belgium and Holland, as shown by abattoir figures, was 50. No later records appear to he available in the dominion. INTENSIVE EFFORTS. : “ The United States of America had in 1918 in both run and dairy animals 4 per cent, of infection, and in some of their dairying districts the percentage was as high as 45. By intensive and continuous efforts the percentage of infection in all cattle has been reduced to 1.7 per cent. In 1930 the cattle in the United States totalled 57,000,000, of which 23,000,000 were dairy cows. Our total was 3,770,223, of which ] .441,410 were dairy cows. The problem with us is small compared witji that of America. . . The position of our dominion, although disturbing, is much better than that in other countries. On last year's figures the percentage of infection was 5.1. as disclosed by inspection at the lime of slaughtering. Of these only 1.4 per cent? were found to be extensively disease!. Compared with other countries, we are undoubtedly fortunate in having such healthy stock. It has taken the! United States fourteen years to redice her figures of infection from 4 perjeent.. to 1.7 per cent. We should be able to free our herds in five rears at the outside. I EFFICIENCY OF TEST.

“ The question bay he raised as to the efficiency of tie tuberculin test for determining the j presence of tuberculosis in the anfaial, but the experience of other cinntries dispels any doubt on this scire, and the data gathered in the jDnited States with great care over jinny years is most informative and convincing. The tuberculin test was adipted in America in 1918, and is base) on well-established principles resting bn twenty-five years of experimental wirk carried out prior to 1017 The aetpn of tuberculin was discovered by jjoch in 1890, and humanity is indexed to this great man for his amazing fidit against the tuberculosis scourge. 1

“To-day 10,000000 cattle are tested in the United Stales each year. Since 1918 more than 1000,000 cattle have been eliminated fiim their herds as the result of the test', and 180,000 herds, representing 2,500000 cattle, are entirely free from iho scourge. More than 2,500,000 beds, representin'!; 20,000,000, have .successfull.v passecl one test, and more thin 1.000 counties, including three while States, have reduced their pcrceiiagc of reactions to less than 1 per cet. Since 1918 over 75,000,000 tests ha'C been made, and no advprse effects nave been noted on any animal. The est has no effect on cither milk or butpr. Those who opposed the test injthe United States complained that tit best cows in the herd were condemn*:], and on a careful survey of the postion it was ascertained that 33 pei; cent, of the reactions were below tit, 1 average and that 25 per cent, wore ibove the average. Only two animals pr 1,000 were found on autopsy to bo without the lesions

which indicate the Iresence of the disease. In the IJnitd States the recom-

pense to the owneiifor the animal destroyed is thrcc-qujrtors of its value, and all reactors arl slaughtered under Government inspection. Tho elimina-

tion of tubercular inttle has not re-

sulted in u decrease of the milk supplies in the States. In 1919 the milk gallonago was 7,801000,000, and this rose to 9,198,000,00(|in 1924. The consumption of raw ink rose from 42gal per capita in 1917 ) 55gnl per capita in 1930. Creamerv butter rose from 818,000.0001 b in 195 to 1,597,000,000

in 1929. Those figii's speak for themselves. Twenty-one pillions out of the 23,000.000 cows in jbe United States have been tested iiij93l, and possibly by this time all hnvjbecn done. Twothirds of tho herdsfvero free by the second test, and 90 fcr cent, were free by tho fourth tesl of the heavily-infected hero took eight tests before they were dec)red free. In tho

United States the average cost of testing was equal to Is and was paid out of public appropriations without charge to the owner. USE OF SKIM MILK.

Meat is not the 'prime conveyor of the disease. Raw milk is the great medium. As the use of skim milk for pigs and poultry will expand enormously, it is imperative to eliminate the disease from this particular foodstuff. Wo cannot afford to pass on the trouble to our pigs and poultry. The experiences in other countries indicate that our dominion, with its equitable climate and the running of its stock in the open all the year round, is the one country in the world where the disease could be eliminated in four or five years. Most of the important countries of the world are taking steps to safeguard the health of the community by eliminating the tubercujar cow, but New Zealand is playing with the problem and trading on her natural advantages. “It is recognised that, although tuberculosis among adults is not entirely attributable to the milk supply, yet the danger to children from this source is undoubted. Bovine tuberculosis is transmissible to human beings and to other animals. This disease can be controlled by the elimination of the cows affected by the To-day, more than ever, the quality and purity of our dairy product’s is of supreme importance. The statement that our dairy products were free from tuberculosis would he of colossal advertising value to the dairy farmers of the dominion. and would particularly appeal to the members of the medical profession in all countries who recognise the wonderful food value of milk products, but who cannot give wholehearted support to their use because they always have the suspicion that they inay be assisting in the spread of tuberculosis. “It has been proved that our butter and other dairy produce is richer in vitamins than is the produce of the Northern Hemisphere, and if to this we could add the fact that our milk had never any chance of infection, our produce would be unrivalled as a healthgiving product. “ it is asserted, from reliable American records, that tuberculosis in cattle doubles itself every fifteen years. This being so, and with the experience of other countries available to us. surely the work of eliminating tuberculosis should be started at once. If the quantity of produce is to be reduced, let it be done by eliminating the animal dangerous to the health of the community.”