TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 September 1925, Page 12

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

STOCK INSPECTOR’S COMMENTS

The subject of tuberculosis among a cows and the alarmist statement from ~ j Palmerston North concern a dairy district so much that the question was referred- to Mr Ford, stock inspector, of Hawera. He strongly confirms the B opinion of the Health Department offiI rial at Dunedin that there 4 nothing e to justify the alarming statement made. e He said, in reply to a question, that it was undoubtedly necessary to take all I precautions to see that the milk eupf ply of the people was taken from cows !- that were not affected by the disease. _ Statistics .from various countries _ showed that the danger of infection 3 was not really serious, except in the i ease of young children, and naturally e they should be safeguarded, as in the s large majority of cases they were, by j having available supplies of the very _ purest and cleanest milk. s It will b© interesting to quote from .. the annual report of the Director of the Live Stock Division., Inter alia, a he says: “The number of cattle con- . demned during the year was 4881, the . inspectors being thorough and active in their work, and of these 3021 were t from the Auckland district. During s the year considerable use was made of tuberculin for diagnostic purposes, and this is a very encouraging sign, as it has been recognised as- the most valiio able and reliable agent .for detecting t tubercular animals which do not show • definite clinical symptoms. . It .is bes ing largely used in connection with cows supplying milk for human eon- , sumption. 3 The number of cattle, excluding t calves, examined was 397,432, of which £ 21,527, or 5.41 per cent., were found to b© affected in varying degrees, a - considerable number only slightly. The - position of the Dominion as a whole r in respect of bovine tuberculosis seems - to show some improvement when all - collateral circumstances are taken into 3 consideration. . . . Drainage and better farming methods combined with careful inspection and the observance of all possible preventive measures, will, it is hoped, bring about improve- ; nients as time goes on. ’ ’ • On© authority, Dr W. S. Gregory, of Missouri, goes so far as to say that ‘ “milk from tuberculosis cows is not a i menace to human health, but, on the other hand, because of the presence of protective tuberculin, it is in reality a type of immunising agent capable of i conferring a lasting benefit on the human race.’’ Inter alia, he says - also: “The greatest of her varied bene- • fits to men is her ability to protect him against disease. She lias a disease so similar'to tuberculosis in man that its ; products protect man against tli© ravages of the human variety of tuberculosis The- tuberculin in her milk cures nearly all our childhood tuberculosis infections. ... And statistics tell us that, in infected areas, where cow’s milk is not used, 90 per cent, or more die. from tuberculosis. ” A Writer in the North American Veterinarian of August,' 1925, commenting on these extracts, says : “The theory may contain an element of fact, b..t we can by no means coincide with his view. , It is our opinion that childhood tuberculosis is influenced more by inherited familiar and individuau resistance than by acquired protection from tubercle bacilli or their products. Doubtless a percentage of childien contract a mild tuberculosis of bovine origin, iollowed by recovery and conseqent immunity; but. on the other hand, thousands throughout the world pay the death penalty annally after continued consumption of raw milk harbouring viru*ent tubercle bacilli' possibly of mammary origin. - . . “We doubt seriously if Gregory -an prove that there is a higher incidence of tuberculosis among children drinking pasteurised milk from accredited herds than among those who consume raw milk from untested herds. ... It is best to regard the matter from the standpoint of available facts and common sense. The battle for eradication of bovine tuberculosis, even if the public health aspect be entirely disregarded,, is well wo. th while from a standpoint of animal economics.” The writer therefore urges every effort being made to stamp out the disease in cattle. Mr. Ford, adde that the department is very careful and thorough in 'its inspection work, as would.be seen from' the director’s annual report.. But. he ■says that undoubtedly there oould. be much improvement in many of the milking sheds —this was borne out by the 'reports of the managers of dairy factories —and that it was up to the dairy farmers.' for their own sake as 'well that of the people generally, to observe the most (scrupulous cleanliness, to keep good healthy cows, to clean their sheds, amd to observe the utmost care and caution. He was of the opinion that, had Mr. MciNaib’s regiilations come, into force years ago, it would have been the best thing for the industry that could have happened, amd would not have been the hardship that was so often stated would be the case. The regulations , would have only been brought in grjrdu- ; ally. - There was no doubt, said Mr. Ford, that all eases of the tuberculosis in cows, and especially where the udder was affected, should he viewed with suspicion.'. But statistics showed that only one per cent of the total number i of cows were so affected.