ERADICATION OF PULLORUM DISEASE 1931-32 



73 



The data in Table 29 show that pullorum disease-free stock can be procured 

 in each of the 12 counties. In order to expedite eradication of the disease, poul- 

 trymen should be advised to purchase from pullorum disease-free sources. In 

 the majority of cases the local sources should prove to be the most advantageous 

 from which to purchase stock. 



Table 29 — Non-Reacting and Positive Flocks Classified by Counties 



Partially Tested 



Non-reacting Flocks 



Barnstable 2 



Berkshire 3 



Bristol IS 



Essex 13 



Franklin 13 



Hampden 7 



Hampshire 20 



Middlesex 23 



Norfolk 14 



Plymouth 38 



Suffolk 1 



Worcester 28 



Total 180 



Barnstable 



Berkshire 



Bristol 



Essex 



Franklin 



Hampden 



Hampshire 



Middlesex 



Norfolk 



Plymouth 



Suffolk 



Worcester 



Total 42 



Annual Testing Necessary to Determine Flock Status 



Annual testing of a flock is necessary in order to determine the exact disease 

 status because the fact that a flock is once free of the disease does not assure the 

 owner that infection will not be re-introduced. The testing of a flock is a means 

 of disease detection and not a means of prevention. The testing is only a part 

 of a disease eradication program. In Table 30 are given the results from flocks 

 tested for the first time, those tested intermittently, and those tested annually. 

 In the latter group, 269 flocks w^ere tested three or more consecutive years. The 

 percentage of positive tests was 0.46 for these 269 flocks. This is less than the 

 percentages of positive tests observed in the other three groups. It is clearly 

 evident, as determined from the results which are presented here, that annual 

 testing should no longer be regarded as a questionable measure in a sound eradi- 

 cation program. It is also recognized that when a testing program is adopted to 

 eradicate the disease from a flock, intensive testing is more effective than annual 

 testing, as is reported elsewhere in this publication. 



