§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, is the scientific advice available to him on the prognosis for a horse which contracts botulism; what steps he is taking to ensure that no further cases arise in Devon and Cornwall; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe prognosis in affected horses is poor and there is no specific therapy. Mildly affected horses may recover with supportive therapy such as mild laxatives and intravenous glucose saline. Practising veterinary surgeons in Devon and Cornwall have been made aware by the Ministry's veterinary investigation service that a clinical diagnosis of botulism has been made in the area.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, investigations are being made into whether horses which have died or been destroyed in recent months in Devon and Cornwall from hitherto unknown or differently diagnosed causes contracted botulism; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe Ministry is not undertaking any special investigations into the cause of death or destruction of horses in Devon and Cornwall in recent months. However, the Ministry's veterinary investigation centres will continue to provide a diagnostic service to private practitioners.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, he will state the nature, type and description of the fodder being analysed; how many other horses have been fed fodder of a similar nature from the same source; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe fodder being analysed is conserved grass in bags. One other horse in the stable where two horses were clinically diagnosed as having botulism was fed with the fodder and to date has remained clinically normal.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, from which feed merchant the fodder came which was fed to the two horses which contracted botulism; what steps he has taken to ensure that the fodder is withdrawn from the market and that horse owners are warned of the potential dangers of the fodder concerned; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonIt would not be appropriate to name the feed merchant. However, the practising veterinary surgeon has reported that he has notified the company of this incident and told them that samples of fodder from the premises concerned are being analysed. Because of the nature of this disease and the negative test results obtained so far, it would not be appropriate to consider advising the feed merchant or horse owners about this matter.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the sources of information for the information as to (a) the location and (b) the fate of the two horses referred to in his answer of 6 February, Official Report, column 846.
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§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information in relation to the location and fate of the two horses was obtained from the practising veterinary surgeon dealing with this case.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, what have been the results of the diagnosis of the specimens and fodder referred to; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonInterim test results on post mortem material and fodder are negative.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, how many recorded cases of botulism in horses there have been in England and Wales in the last two years; what were the causes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonNo cases of botulism have been recorded by Ministry laboratories in England and Wales in the last two years.
§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply of 6 February, Official Report, column 846, what assumptions he is using in ascertaining the cause of horses contracting botulism in the case of the two horses concerned.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonBotulism is a well recognised syndrome in horses in a number of countries and investigations into the disease have been carried out. Clostridium botulinum is an organism which occurs in the soil. In certain conditions it is able to multiply and produce a toxin in grass silage. Clinical signs develop when the toxin is ingested and absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream.