§ Mr. Aitkenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action her Department is taking to provide banks of serum for animals and humans in case of an attack of rabies.
§ Dr. OwenThe supply of rabies antiserum, together with vaccines and immunoglobulin, has recently been reviewed and is being increased in the light of the developing situation on the 543W continent of Europe. Stocks of vaccines and anti-serum for post-exposure treatment of human cases are constantly available at selected public health laboratories for the treatment of travellers exposed to the risks of infection abroad and to meet emergencies. In addition a stock of human rabies immunoglobulin is available for persons for whom equine antiserum is unsuitable.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has informed me that serum is not used for animals. The policy is to isolate both the rabies suspect and the bitten animal and to destroy them if rabies is confirmed. Limited quantities of authorised anti-rabies vaccine are held by a pharmaceutical company and its distributors in the United Kingdom to cover normal demands for quarantined animals and animals for export.