Further Reading (Brucellosis)
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Action Demanded as Brucellosis Found in Angus
Andrew Arbuckle
Dundee Courier
21 February 2003
THE POLICY that allows the importation of cattle
into this country from countries where diseases are endemic was
criticised last night after it was confirmed that two cows on a
farm outside Forfar were diagnosed as suffering from brucellosis.
Sandy Clark, Scottish chairman of the British
Veterinary Association, said that imports of livestock from countries
such as the Republic of Ireland, from where the cattle came, should
be brought to a halt immediately.
"It may be against European Union policy to put up the shutters
but we are now importing a disease which had been eradicated in
this country.
"Farmers should have more common sense than bring disease
into this country. Ireland is not able to control either tuberculosis
or brucellosis and yet we are buying their cattle when they will
not buy ours."
Brucellosis, which can be transferred to humans
and cause recurrent or chronic fever, used to be endemic in this
country but the last confirmed case in Scotland before last night’s
bombshell was back in the 1970s.
The Scottish Executive gave no precise information
on the farm in question other than that it ran both beef and sheep
enterprises and that the unit had been under surveillance for the
past week following their importation.
The infection was found in an aborted foetus and
this is the prime area of spread of the disease.
Mr Clark urged farmers to get any aborting cattle
checked. This was a free service, he pointed out.
The Scottish Executive stressed that there was
no danger to human health from the confirmed case as the farm does
not sell raw milk and the disease cannot be passed through meat
products or pasteurised milk.
When brucellosis was widespread in the UK it was
considered an occupational hazard for vets and those working with
cattle regularly.
When humans are infected their temperature rises
and falls, giving the disease its name of undulant fever. Some of
those infected never throw off the disease.
The Executive has advised the EU on the incidence
of the disease and its country of origin.
The incident comes two years to the day when the
first case in the foot-and-mouth epidemic was reported in England.
Andrew Arbuckle
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