asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the prevalence of undulant fever in human beings; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Undulant Fever.
2.
Undulant fever (brucellosis) is a notifiable disease for the purpose of the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1948. The number of cases of the disease notified to health authorities for the years 1969 and 1970 were 49 and 40 respectively. This year, to date, 27 cases have been notified. It is generally accepted, however, that the disease is more prevalent in humans than these figures indicate; it is a difficult disease to diagnose and some cases may not come to notice.
In Ireland brucellosis is transmitted to man mainly by contact with cattle or by consumption of raw milk from infected animals; the disease is not transmitted from person to person. As the Deputy is aware the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries has a scheme in operation for the eradication of brucellosis in cattle. In June, 1966 my Department wrote to the chief medical officers of health authorities asking them to consider the efficacy of existing measures in their areas for the control of brucellosis in humans. Reference was made to the importance of adequate notification and it was suggested that the interest of general medical practitioners might be stimulated so that they might be on the alert in regard to the diagnosis of the disease.
In November, 1968, brucellosis was one of the main subjects discussed at a two-day seminar arranged for medical and veterinary officers in the central and local services. Arising out of these discussions, the Joint Services Committee on Zoonoses was established in 1969 to consider the matters discussed at the seminar and to make any necessary recommendations thereon.
Brucella organisms in milk are destroyed by efficient pasteurisation and following a recommendation from the Joint Services Committee on Zoonoses my Department wrote to each Government Department in May, 1971 recommending that in the interests of public health, pasteurised milk only should be supplied in any institution, or under any service, in which public funds are used. My Department had already urged health authorities to ensure that as far as practicable only pasteurised milk should be supplied in health institutions; the matter is being kept under review.
Will the Minister say why there has been so much secrecy about this? I asked a question three years ago and I was told there was no such disease and that I would do untold harm to the cattle industry if I continued to ask such questions.
I am not aware it was kept silent. I have answered the question.
I agree and I welcome the answer the Minister has given.
As I have said, these matters have been under discussion by the veterinary officers and the county medical officers since November, 1968, and then seminars were held. Perhaps these bodies wanted to be able to make recommendations which have resulted in my making recommendations to all public health authorities in regard to this matter.
The Minister should try to educate people, especially farmers, to the dangers of this disease. He should bring home to them the fact that they should not handle a beast but get it taken away immediately and slaughtered. I know many veterinary surgeons who have contacted this disease because down through the years they handled cattle. At present many veterinary surgeons will not handle cattle. They advise farmers to get the beast away immediately and that is what should be done if at all possible.
Would the Minister consider introducing some scheme so that those who are at present selling unpasteurised milk on a fairly large scale could be compensated in some way in order to try to speed up what he has suggested? Otherwise it means that some people could be put to heavy financial loss and this is the reason why the previous request of his Department was not accepted in the way in which it possibly might have been.
In relation to the rationalisation of milk production it should be possible to reach the stage at some time—I would not say how long from now—when all milk for human consumption will be pasteurised. The position I understand is improving in regard to this. It would be difficult to insist that all milk which might have brucellosis in it would have to go for pasteurisation before it could be used. I understand the creameries try to persuade farmers not to supply milk that cannot be pasteurised for human consumption and that is about all that can be done at the moment. The brucellosis eradication campaign is continuing steadily and this will be the eventual solution of the problem.
A number of educational institutions and convents are supplying this milk and if they have to stop supplying it, on the advice of the Department, would the Minister not consider introducing some form of compensation which would allow them to go out of the business and arrangements could then be made for pasteurisation?
Would the Minister consider mounting a publicity campaign on the dangers of taking raw milk?
I might do that but I do not know whether it would be a priority or not.
Question No. 3 postponed.