§ Mr. Weetchasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is at present being undertaken in his Department into the curative aspects of treating rabies once the disease has become a permanent feature of the national ecology; and how much money is being spent on it.
§ Mr. StrangMy Department is determined to ensure that rabies does not become a permanent feature of the national ecology. Research into the treatment of rabies in a natural environment would require animals to be deliberately infected and would present great risks to our current rabies-free situation.
While my Department is not undertaking research on the curative aspects of 61W treating rabies, I understand that research work on the prevention of rabies by new vaccines is being undertaken both here and abroad. There is little sign of a breakthrough in curing rabies once an animal or man has become clinically affected.