Rabies (Hansard, 3 March 1970)

§ Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

The dog Sessan had been under close veterinary surveillance and died on 27th February from "dumb" rabies. This is a form of rabies in which the animal is not aggressive during the short period when it is infective. The medical officer of health for the area has been kept fully informed from the outset and has taken all measures needed to safeguard human health.

Sessan, with another dog in the same ownership, had been imported from Pakistanon 30th May, 1969, and both were released from scheduled quarantine in Essex on 30th November, 1969. The second dog remained healthy but has now been put down. There is no connection with the cases last year at Camberley and Folkestone.

My veterinary staff, assisted by the police, have been making exhaustive inquiries to trace any other possible contacts during the short danger period when the dog was infective and might have transmitted the disease. None has come to light. As a precaution, however, a dog which was bitten by Sessan on 18th January, i.e. before onset of the disease, is being taken into quarantine 95W custody. My veterinary advice is that another dog, which might have had contact with Sessan some six weeks before she died, is not at risk. Inquiries have extended to an area in North London which the owner visited with Sessan shortly before the onset of the disease. But there was no known contact there.

Special inquiries have been made on any possible risk to horses in the New-market area. The exercising arrangements for horses and for Sessan left no scope for any form of contact or for transmission of virus. There is, therefore, no reason for any restrictions in that sector. Nor have the veterinary and other inquiries revealed any possibility of contact with wildlife. Sessan was on a leash on the sole occasion that she was exercised while showing signs of illness.

There has been no case of rabies in the quarantine premises at Purleigh, Essex, since June, 1968. However, to facilitate further investigations, which are still in progress, no quarantined animals are being released from these premises for the time being.