DIVISION OF ANIMAL HEALTH 

 Mabel A. Owen, Director 



The control and/or eradication of important domestic animal diseases 

 is the major goal of the Division of Animal Health and is not only crucial 

 to hiaman health and the success of agriculture itself, it is one of the 

 few areas where government truly profits both producer and consumer. 



The major disease control programs in the Division of Animal Health 

 are in Tuberculosis and Brucellosis, both of which exert a considerable 

 impact on human health. 



BRUCELLOSIS 



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Two dairy herds were under quarantine for brucellosis in the 1980 

 fiscal year. One herd was removed from quarantine following the removal 

 of reactors and subsequent clean tests. The second, a very large free- 

 housed herd, remains under quarantine with a very low level of infection 

 which is difficult to eradicate completely in such a large herd. The 

 conventional test-and-slaughter procedures which cleaned up the small herd 

 are being augmented in the large herd through additional and more definitive 

 testing done with the aid of the Animal Plant Health Inspection Services of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. 



A very large part of the state is now certified free of Swine Brucellosis, 

 which also carries a human health impact. Work which will certify the 

 entire state continues in all types of brucellosis. 



TUBERCULOSIS 



This disease also has important human-health connotations and is 

 endemic all over the world. Eradication remains a continuing program with 

 no tolerance for laxity. We require that cattle and goats imported into 

 Massachusetts come in on permit and an approved test. We conduct a Market 

 Cattle-Traceback (MCI) system of surveillance. We also test, at state 

 expense, every dairy animal at least once every three years. In the 1980 

 fiscal year, 29,644 animals were tested. Further testing of 30 primary-test 

 deviates revealed two reactors which were slaughtered with indemnity payment 

 made. Herds of origin for both proved clean. 



HOG CHOLERA AND RELATED DISEASES 



Massachusetts continues to remain free of this disease but, since it 

 occurs in nearby countries, active preventative procedures must be maintained. 

 In this state the feeding of cooked garbage is allowed, with a permit required. 

 Regular inspections of both swine and feeding procedures are made. This 

 program, geared to the control of Hog Cholera, is important to the control 

 of other diseases. Vesicular Exanthema and African Swine Fever in particular. 



EQUINE PROGRAMS 



Massachusetts requires a negative test for the presence of Equine 

 Infectious Anemia (EIA) before a horse or pony can come into the state or 

 be sold or shown here. 16,631 tests were reported; 14 of these, mostly 

 detected through sale-barn testing, were found to be positive and 

 quarantined. 



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