§ Mr. William Edwardsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of fowl pest have been recorded to date; how many poultry are involved; what steps he has taken to make vaccine available; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony Stodart1,012 outbreaks of fowl pest were confirmed in England and Wales between 24th August and 28th October inclusive. Provisional figures show that the total number of 337W birds on the holdings involved was 6.7 million. Full details of mortality from the disease cannot be obtained, since many producers slaughtered their flocks at the first sign of disease, but the mortalities caused by the disease would undoubtedly be much lower. A further 144 outbreaks have occurred since 28th October, but figures of birds involved are not yet available.
This epidemic is due mainly to the failure of many producers to maintain regular and full vaccination, so that nearly half the national flock was unprotected at the start of the epidemic. The disease has been severe, but it is not the per-acute form. Since the vaccination policy was introduced, broadly similar types of the disease have been encountered, e.g. in Kent in 1969, but the higher level of vaccination then enabled the outbreaks to be controlled.
No vaccine can give 100 per cent. protection, particularly against the heavy weight of infection at present being produced in unvaccinated flocks, and young birds are in any case capable of only a limited response to vaccine. But the effect of the disease in fully vaccinated adult and growing flocks has been minimal.
My Department has done everything it can to persuade producers to undertake vaccination urgently. Special arrangements were made with vaccine manufacturers which resulted in greatly increased supplies of vaccine being available from early October, and a high output is being maintained. Infected Area restrictions have been imposed as soon as disease conditions warranted them. Extra veterinary manpower has been allocated to the special disease centres set up to help control the disease.
I have also authorised field trials of live vaccine to be carried out under strict Ministry control on selected farms in East Anglia to assess the effectiveness of live vaccine in this country under the present epidemic conditions.
But the main hope of controlling this epidemic is for producers to raise the general level of vaccination with the approved vaccine. Of the 1,012 outbreaks confirmed up to 28th October, at least 90 per cent. were in flocks that were not fully vaccinated as recommended by the manufacturers. I do urge producers 338W in their own interests to ensure that their birds are fully vaccinated as quickly as possible.