MAF takes over TB scheme - a reply

Authors: Brown W
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 34, Issue 12, pp 220, Dec 1986
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Biosecurity, Disease control/eradication, Epidemiology, Mycobacterial, Disease/defect, Zoonosis, Infectious disease, Veterinary profession, Public health
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: I make a personal reply refuting Joe Tyndel`s comments in his letter to the editor of the August 1986 NZVJ about MAF`s ability to control tuberculosis in animals in New Zealand. Similar to his deer practice colleagues Mr Tyndel appears to make the assumption that livestock officers of the Animal Health Division of MAF are the sole agents involved in tuberculosis control. The Division acknowledges the need to have veterinary epidemiological knowledge and training involved in decisions on infected herds and all other aspects of tuberculosis surveillance. Therefore veterinary officers supervise all aspects of the work. Livestock officers have been extremely competent at performing tuberculin testing and I take umbrage at his bold statement that “there cannot be any doubt that efficacy of TB control will suffer”. To the contrary tuberculosis testing will continue to be done in the efficient and effective manner that it has always been done wtih the livestock officer/veterinary officer team of the Animal Health Division. It is good to hear Mr Tyndel acknowledging the “thankless and onerous task” that TB testing is. Animal Health Division staff have had the additional difficult task of…

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