HC Deb 24 June 1954 vol 529 cc569-70
14. Mr. Hollis

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are being taken to counter vibrio foetus in the dairy herds of this country.

Sir T. Dugdale

Vibrio foetus infection is a venereal disease of livestock and is very difficult to treat. The best advice that can be given to farmers is to maintain their herds as self-contained breeding units, or to introduce only maiden heifers and bulls which have never served or to adopt artificial insemination. This very greatly reduces the risk of infection. Research into the disease is going on at my Department's Veterinary Laboratory at Weybridge and elsewhere, and information about the disease and methods of control is made available by my Department to farmers and veterinary surgeons.

Mr. Hollis

Can the Minister give some indication when the results of the research will be published? Further, will it be possible to introduce some system of testing similar to tuberculin testing, to give encouragement to people in A.I. Centres?

Sir T. Dugdale

So far, the results of research have not on the whole been very satisfactory, but research is being continued. There is no doubt that the real remedy lies in preventing the introduction of the disease into a herd.