HC Deb 18 March 1994 vol 239 cc900-1W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for Humberside and the three Yorkshire counties how many cows in herds tested proved bovine immunodeficiency virus positive in the latest convenient period; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

During limited work on the development of a serological test for bovine immunodeficiency virus carried out by the Department's Central Veterinary Laboratory in 1990, blood samples from 31 cattle in Humberside and the counties of Yorkshire were tested and one was found to be seropositive to the test which was used. These results have not been validated. Clinical disease caused by infection with BIV has never been identified in Great Britain.