Miscarriage Risk: Contact with Lambing Ewes (Hansard, 18 June 1986)

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)
My Lords, since 1981 10 cases of miscarriage caused by chlamydia psittaci have been reported in the United Kingdom, apparently contracted from ewes in lamb. The risks of infection appear to be small but the condition itself can be serious. Reports of the infection are being monitored closely by the health departments and the communicable disease surveillance centres in the United Kingdom.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, may I thank the Minister for that interesting reply? I think that I should declare an interest in the Question as we are sheep farmers. May I ask her whether she is aware that many doctors do not know about the disease? It seems to me that vets know more about it than doctors. Will she see that all health authorities in rural areas make doctors aware of it, and also what to look for and how to treat the patients?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, the Government are very concerned about the recent cases. Advice is or will be reaching the farming community in a number of ways. The most practical advice that I can offer about the prevention of further cases is that high standards of hygiene should be observed, and that wherever possible pregnant women should keep away from infected flocks and ovine abortions.

§ Lord Walston
My Lords, in view of the fact that a large number of farmers' wives, particularly in hill areas, help their husbands with lambing, and precious few, if any, know of the risk, will the Government do all that they can, in addition to what the noble Baroness has already told us, to make quite certain that, in the first place, the risk is well known to all those women who are likely to be involved with 852 pregnant ewes and also to encourage further research so that the experts may have more knowledge which may thereafter be available for the farming public concerning this relatively newly-discovered but probably long-standing disease?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, discussions concerning research continue among the Ministry of Agriculture, the public health laboratory service, the communicable disease surveillance centres and ourselves. We should certainly consider carefully proposals put to us for research in that area.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that a large proportion of the cases were in Scotland and that the Scottish Office has already carried out research? If that is so, can she ensure that is made available to other health departments, and that it continues? Is she aware that I understand that the unfortunate women also contracted a painful and distressing illness?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, four cases have been reported in Scotland over the past five years, three in England this year and a further three in England over the years 1981 to 1985. There was one death in 1980. The Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and the Communicable Disease (Scotland) Unit routinely monitor all reports of chlamydia psittaci. I understand that cases of the infection being acquired from sheep are extemely rare. With regard to the seriousness of the disease, my noble friend is perfectly right. The report indicates that following the miscarriage, the women suffered from complaints involving defects in blood coagulation, kidney and liver disfunction and heart problems.

§ Lord Taylor of Blackburn
My Lords, will the Minister kindly ask general practitioner committees to make doctors aware of this problem? I do not think that she has answered the noble Baroness's question, which was whether she would make general practitioners aware of the problem.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I understand that the Ministry of Agriculture will be giving instructions to its veterinary officers before the start of the next lambing season about the risk of the disease for pregnant women and on advising farming families at risk. Any woman who has attended lambing or abortion in ewes should inform her doctor if she thinks that she is pregnant. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive recently issued a press release to the farming papers drawing attention to the disease and warning families at risk.

§ Lord Taylor of Blackburn
My Lords, is the noble Baroness the Minister aware that many general practitioners do not take farming papers and that therefore the department should make general practitioners aware of this matter? It should not be done through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or anyone else like that. It is the department's responsibility to make general practitioners aware of this.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, this is a rare condition. A number of cases have been reported to the medical press—for instance, the British Medical Journal—and this is how many doctors find out about matters. Any pregnant woman who has attended lambing or abortion in ewes should inform her doctor, as I said previously.

The Earl of Halsbury
My Lords, is there not something of a discrepancy between the rate of circulation in this Chamber and the rate of circulation outside it? It needs only one Starred Question here to put every Member of the House on the alert that there is a danger to pregnant women from infected sheep. How do we get that message quickly—at the same speed at which we transfer it to one another—to all the shepherdesses in this country?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, as the noble Earl says, a Question in this House creates very wide publicity. If the medical authorities in the DHSS think that there is a need for further information to be imparted to doctors, following the advice that they receive, I am sure that they will do that.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, may I follow up just two of the points which have been made? First, it seems to me that rural doctors should receive, as was suggested by my noble friend, such information as the Government have. Secondly, may I support the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Walston, that there should be some research into this matter? I know that the noble Baroness said that they would look at the possibility of research. I wonder whether some research on this subject could be initiated.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State will take note of what the noble Lord has said. Doctors, particularly those practising in rural areas, should recognise the possible risk to pregnant women in rural areas where chlamydia infections in farm animals may be widespread. Noble Lords may not be aware that there are two strains of this disease. The other one is another question.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that our shepherd's daughter, who was a shepherdess and who was married and pregnant, sadly experienced a still birth? Many cases may not be reported, documented and known about. It is important to prevent the death of an unborn child. Will the department look further into this matter?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, as I have already said, I understand that from time to time there have been articles in the farming press and that the HSE has drawn the attention of the farming press and doctors to the risks. We shall keep under review the need for further action if the number of cases justifies it.

§ Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
My Lords, will the noble Baroness bear in mind that many hill farmers are dependent upon the assistance of their wives during lambing? Therefore will she put pressure on the DHSS to concentrate on preventive measures?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lady whether she is referring to the ewes or the women?

§ Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
The women, my Lords.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, the best advice that can be given is to wear protective clothing if one has to be near sheep and if possible to keep away from lambing ewes and placenta disposal and to observe good hygiene.