§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether his Ministry has carried out post mortems on rats found on farms where a herd314W outbreak of tuberculosis occurred to establish whether the rats themselves were carriers of the disease; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement about the work his Ministry is carrying out into investigating the possibility that rats might be vectors of tuberculosis, passing the disease on to cattle;
(3) if he will list all the mammals which have been investigated by his Ministry as possible vectors of tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerRats are not examined as part of an investigation into a cattle herd breakdown. Past studies have looked at the possibility of rats and other wildlife being involved in the transmission of tuberculosis to cattle. This work was reviewed by Professor Dunnett in his report on badgers and bovine tuberculosis in 1986. No actual lesions have been revealed, other than in deer, and it has been concluded that where visible lesions are absent infected animals are not likely to be infectious. Appendix 8 of Professor Dunnett's report lists those species examined and information on wildlife examined is published annually in the reports on bovine tuberculosis in Badgers which are available in the Library of the House.