Ill 



Twenty-One-Year Testing Period Shows Progress in Eradication 

 Table 6 presents data for a 21-year testing period, showing that Mas- 

 sachusetts has made marked progress in eliminating pullorum disease 

 from its flocks. The table also points out that flocks once established free 

 of the disease can be maintained at such a status. 



Table 6. Twenty-One-Year Pullorum Disease Testing Summary 



•Based on total birds tested: 1927-28, 190,658 birds; 1928-29, 254,512 birds. 



Comments and Suggestions 



Tn view of the progress that has been made in pullorum-disease erad- 

 ication, it should be recognized that a continued effort must be made to 

 employ sound effective measures to further maintain and establish pul- 

 lorum-free flocks. A few items should receive special consideration in 

 this report: 



1. Annual Testing of Flocks: — In determining the pullorum status of a 

 flock, it should be tested annually. This measure is based on the fact thai 

 pullorum infection can be introduced into a flock after it lias once been 

 free of this disease. Fortunately such "breaks" occur very seldom; but 

 since they do occur, it becomes necessary to test flocks at least once a 

 year. The discontinuance of testing for even one year may permit con- 

 ditions whereby a flock may become heavily infected. In flocks previous- 

 ly negative that have become reinfected, the amount of infection is usually 

 small. Annual testing in such cases prevents the infection from multi- 



