§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of duck plague and indicate what measures may be taken by the public to limit the ravages of this disease.
§ Mr. Peter MillsDuck Plague—Duck Virus Enteritis—had been diagnosed in collections of wild and ornamental duck having access to open water in Hertford shire, Lincolnshire and Cambridge shire. It is assumed that the disease has been introduced by migratory birds. No cases have so far been reported in commercial flocks.
Overseas experience is that the course of the disease is unpredictable. It can cause heavy mortality especially in ducks which have access to open water between January and July. However, it does not appear to spread rapidly among domestic flocks in different areas if adequate preventive measures are undertaken.
Duck owners are advised to adopt strict security and hygiene measures. Where practicable they should prevent contact between their flocks and wild ducks. The disease can be prevented by vaccination. Full scale prophylactic vaccination of healthy flocks is not considered necessary under present circumstances. The vaccine can be used to contain an outbreak and there may be circumstances where the destruction of ailing birds and the immediate vaccination of healthy stock could be undertaken My Department has facilitated the importation of vaccine from overseas and this is being held on behalf of the commercial duck industry by the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket. A 211W leaflet setting out symptoms, disease spread and preventive measures is available from Animal Health and Divisional Offices of my Department.