OCR Text |
Show NATION-WIDE CAMPaIgtTtORADICATE TUBERCULOSIS FROM OUR DAIRY HERDS Holsteins at United States Soldiers' Home, Washington, D. C First Herd to Be Accredited Tuberculosis Free. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) It is hard to find any better food than good milk, yet if the milk used In the daily diet is not good it Is a constant source of danger. If the milk Is produced by cows that have tuberculosis tuber-culosis and there are thousands of them in this country and is not pasteurized, pas-teurized, the germs of the dreaded disease may be transmitted to luimuns. This is the, reason consumers as well as producers of milk should be deeply Interested in and give their support to what tlie United States department of agriculture is doing to stamp out tuberculosis in dairy cattle. The plan is to certify officially all herds the owners , of which have complied com-plied with specified requirements which show beyond doubt that the animals are free from tuberculosis. In December, 1017, the plan was adopted j jointly by the live stock sanitary ofli-cials ofli-cials of all the states in the Union and" by the federal department. It corisists of giving the tuberculin test to every animal in the 'nerd at least twice a year, af the end of which time, If all the animals are found free from the disease, the herd is accredited tuberculosis tu-berculosis free. Plan Gains Wide Interest. The idea and advantages of accredited accred-ited herds of cattle found to be free from tuberculosis gained wide publicity pub-licity and popularity among cattle breeders from the start. They appreciate appre-ciate the fact that a certificate of approval ap-proval indorsed by the state in which the herd belongs, and found indorsed by the government, gives prospective purchasers confidence that the animals are free from the disease and they are in consequence willing to pay a considerable advance In price for such animals. During the first half year the plan has been in operation, 20G herds, comprising com-prising 9,284 cattle, were fully accredited accred-ited as free from tuberculosis, and 1,462 herds having 35,05;? cattle passed one successful test in preparation -for certification. In addition, 4,022 herds, both purebred and grade, totaling 9S,-002 9S,-002 animals, were under supervision for the eradication of tuberculosis. Eacli month a large number of additional addi-tional herds are taken under supervision. super-vision. Many States Co-operating." Tuberculosis eradication work is now being carried on in more than 40' slates in co-operation with the state live stock .sanitary officials and stock owners. Joint agreements between the state and the federal department of agriculture governing the application for the tuberculin test, and the nan- dling of the herd, are forwarded to each owner interested in having his herd freed of the disease, or in having hav-ing it accepted as officially accredited. accred-ited. , " It has been found by very careful experiments ex-periments and practical work that tuberculosis tu-berculosis cannot be detected to any great extent among animals by a physical physi-cal examination. Herds which seem , apparently healthy may be extensively affected with tuberculosis. The most reliable method for definitely determining deter-mining whether tuberculosis exists is. the tuberculin test applied by a trained operator. Tuberculin, while it is the most accurate diagnostic agency known to science, is safe only in the hands of a trained and skillful operator who is acquainted with its limitations and with the symptoms it produces in the animals to which it is applied. All Purebred Herds to Be Tested. It is proposed to carry on the accredited ac-credited herd plan until practically all purebred herds of cattle in the United States are under state and federal supervision for the eradication of tuberculosis'. tu-berculosis'. Thus it will be possible for the owner in one state to purchase-cattle purchase-cattle in another state with the assurance assur-ance that he will receive animals that may be introduced into his herd with I perfect safety, so far as tuberculosis is concerned. Under former conditions, condi-tions, many such animals proved to be a menace in place of an asset. In addition to the accredited herd '' plan, the eradication of tuberculosis from live stock will be carried on in circumscribed areas comprising one or more counties. The disease will be eliminated from cattle and swine in such areas, and -the campaign extended extend-ed until it takes in entire states. In order that the work may progress: satisfactorily, it is necessary that livestock live-stock owners co-operate to the fullest extent". The success of the movement for eradicating tuberculosis rests upon: the live stock 'owners of the country to-a to-a greater degree than on any other force; whenever they are ready and willing to "get behind" the work, suc-i suc-i cess is bound to follow. |