§ 92. Sir Richard Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the report on rabies and quarantine.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a further statement on his investigation into the recent outbreak of rabies; and whether he will now agree to a temporary ban of six months upon the entry of any dogs into this country.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now publish his report on the recent rabies outbreaks.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesI have now received the report of the enquiry into the source of infection in the two recent cases of rabies in dogs. I have placed copies in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. The report examined the available evidence very thoroughly. The dog Whisky came from362W a part of Western Germany where rabies was widespread. The balance of probability is that in this case the disease was contracted in Western Germany.
The dog Fritz, however, came from a part of Western Germany where rabies is not so prevalent, and in view of this and the owner's surveillance, the report concludes that the likelihood of the dog contracting the disease there is remote. This leaves the possibility of infection at the kennels. But the investigators found no evidence suggesting that there could have been direct contact between the dogs in the kennels. General scientific opinion throughout the world is that the contraction of the disease by a dog through indirect contact is very unlikely. Nevertheless, the report concludes that in this case the possibility cannot he excluded. In effect, therefore, the report says that the evidence is insufficient to identify the source of infection in this case. The dog Fritz could have contracted the disease in Western Germany and developed it after an incubation period longer than the normal six months or caught it from the Indian collie which died of the disease in the same kennels in July.
I must therefore take into account both possibilities. Rabies is such a dreadful disease that I consider that I have a responsibility to err on the side of safety even against remote risks. There are rare recorded instances, including a few cases in this country, of dogs which have developed the disease after an incubation period longer than six months. The dog Fritz may have been such another case. In view of this, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I consider that it would be a wise precaution to extend the quarantine period from six to eight months. Secondly, I must ensure that those other dogs which may have been exposed to infection in the kennels are no possible source of danger to the public. At present, these dogs which have been released from quarantine are under muzzle and leash restrictions. I am satisfied that in many circumstances this is an adequate precaution. But in this particular case I feel that I should be failing in my duty if I did not strengthen the precautions which have already been taken. For this reason I shall require that the 29 dogs retained in this block of this quarantine 363W kennel should complete a period of eight months quarantine from the last possible date from which infection might have occurred. In addition, I shall require that the dogs which have been released from this block and some dogs which may have had contact with Fritz at Camberley should be placed in quarantine for a similar period; the number of these dogs is 33. Muzzle and leash restrictions will be retained for certain dogs which had a very remote possibility of contact with Fritz at Camberley.
I recognise that these additional precautions will impose a hardship on dog owners with whom I have great sympathy. I hope, however, that they will accept that this additional safety precaution is necessary to safeguard against the possible spread of the disease, however remote the danger.
I propose, however, to review the whole position including the quarantine period, at the end of 1970 in the light of any results which may emerge from the research programmes to which reference is made in the report, and any other developments between now and then.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have signed an Order prohibiting imports of a wide range of exotic species susceptible to rabies, unless consigned to approved zoos or research establishments. This will take effect on 15th December. The case for importing these species for other purposes will be reviewed when adequate quarantine facilities are available.