TUBERCULOSIS.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 72, 22 December 1911, Page 4

TUBERCULOSIS.

THE PROBLEM IN AMERICA. Tuberculosis, which has given veterinary experts and farmers considerable concern in this country, is a problem which is also being grappled with in the United States. Some light is thrown on the position by the following remarks by the secretary of the International Dairy Show, Wisconsin : .“Tuberculosis is a great problem confronting the live stock industry. The prevalence of this disease among cattle has been shown by the work which has been done in Wisconsin during several years past in an effort to eradicate it, and the disease was tound to be especially widespread in dairy herds. A comparatively recent estimate of the Department indicates that on an average more than 10 per cent of the dairy cattle in the United States are affected with tuberculosis. “To assist the stock breeders and dairymen to eradicate tuberculosis and to obtain stock free from this infection, what seems to be a good plan has been proposed, namely, to organise a commission of prominent stockmen, who will certify to herds free from tuberculosis, after this fact has been officially determined by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department will apply the tuberculin test and ascertain whether or not the herd is free from tuberculosis. When a herd is found to be free, or after the disease has been eradicated to the satisfaction of the bureau, this commission would then have a sound basis for certifying to the health of the herd, and such certification would not only enable purchasers to get healthy stock, but would be a valuable asset to the owners of such herds.

" The following are some of the features of the proposed plan: The detection of the disease by modern and reliable methods; the elimination of the infected animals from the herd; precautions against reinfection of the herd by subsequent purchases of infected animals; official recognition of the owners of herds of cattle which are free from tuberculosis; provision for the identification of individual animals in such herds ; establishment of an official register of all such cattle and co-operation with the officials of the pure-bred live-stock record associations with State veterinarians, State live stock sanitary boards, and public health officials."