a decade since the last case was found in a herd in this 

 state. 



The Brucellosis Program 



The end of fy 1988 marks the 62nd month that Mas- 

 sachusetts has been rated "Brucellosis-Free". This rating 

 is now shared by 26 other states, all of which are either 

 north or north-central. This is a coveted status, one of 

 value to every farmer as it allows our cattle to move freely 

 in commerce to a wide number of other states and 

 countries. In effect, FREE Status confers an added value 

 to Massachusetts-owned dairy animals. Since this dis- 

 ease remains endemic in the South, strict surveillance 

 procedures are required in all "FUEE" states. 



The Brucellosis Ring Test (BRT) is the primary testing 

 procedure. Dairy herds are monitored quarterly with this 

 test, currently conducted under a state-federal payment 

 system at Paige Laboratory, University of Massachusetts 

 Amherst campus. 



Cattle Dealer licensing and weekly sale/purchase 

 reports are necessary, as is the vaccination of all heifer 

 calves between the ages of four and eight months, as well 

 as the re-testing of all imported cattle between 45 and 60 

 days post entry. Vaccination and import retesting is done 

 at state expense, either via staff Veterinarian or by fee- 

 basis accredited Veterinarian. Since Massachusetts is 

 both an importing (more cattle brought in than raised 

 here) and one across which cattle move regularly, there 

 is an ever present danger of re-introducing this costly 

 disease to Massachusetts herds. We are therefore un- 

 ceasingly vigilant concerning Bovine Brucellosis. It 

 remains the first priority disease- prevention Program. 



Swine Brucellosis 



At the end of fy 1988 one swine herd was known to be 

 infected and this one was scheduled for the depopulation 

 of all breeding animals before the first quarter of fy 1989. 

 AppUcation for Free-status in swine brucellosis is under 

 USDA consideration. Acceptable surveillance proce- 

 dures remain in question. There are no large, federally- 

 inspected swine slaughterplants in New England and 

 swine traceback procedures remain poor because current 

 methods of swine identification do not remain on or with 

 the animal throughout transportation and slaughter. 

 First-point testing (ie; at sales or gathering points) is 

 under consideration as is individual-herd animal testing. 

 Swine numbers continue to diminish in Massachusetts 

 despite the widespread changeover from garbage to grain 

 feeding. Waste food recycling through swine remains 

 both economically and environmentally sound; and swine 

 feed lots also remain the primary source of neighbor 

 complaint. 



Other Swine Diseases 



With the advent of federally-supported, industry-wide 

 effort to eradicate Swine Pseudorabies Virus (PRV) 

 slated to begin on January 1, 1989, many states have begun 

 a surveillance program to locate any foci of disease in this 

 area. Massachusetts conducted a serology surveillance of 

 almost 60 swine herds in mid-fy 1988, and eleven herds 

 were found to have one or more positive animals. Five of 

 these were cleaned up quickly and tested negative. Six 

 others remain, one of which is a very large herd. Since 

 there is no state or federal indemnity available for PRV, 

 each case must be considered individually, bearing in 

 mind the size of the herd, its proximity to other swine 

 herds, the severity of disease within the herd and the 

 farmer's decision to remain a breeding operation. With 

 the exception of the one large aforementioned herd, it is 

 expected that Massachusetts will be essentially free of 

 PRV in fy 1989. In the area of other swine diseases a 

 number of threats exist. African Swine Fever is endemic 

 in much of the Caribbean basin and Foot and Mouth 

 Disease breaks sporadically in Europe and South 

 America. Division of Animal Health is also a part of 

 READEO (Regional Emergency Animal Disease 

 Eradication Organization) a state-Federal contingency 

 planning group which would cover any exotic/imported 

 disease outbreak. 



Pet Shop Licensing 



Almost 10,000 puppies and kittens are imported into 

 Massachusetts each year, for sale at Pet Shops. State 

 licensing is designed to provide better care, cleaner shops 

 and some protection to the buying pubhc. Massachusetts 

 requires these animals to be veterinarian inspected, and 

 to be eight weeks of age before importation. Despite such 

 laws, these are baby animals, already heavily traumatized 

 by weaning, a stay at a wholesaler and further shipment. 

 A new regulation mandating a weekly Veterinarian in- 

 spection prior to sale has been of some help, as has the 

 requirement permitting the buyer to return the animal for 

 either exchange or return of payment following a 

 Veterinarian's inspection and rejection. Consumer com- 

 plaints in the year following the rule changes have been 

 minimal but not non-existent. The sale of animals from a 

 shop often results in an emotional experience for the 

 purchaser - not always on the plus side. The Division of 

 Animal Health, despite job vacancies, has undertaken to 

 inspect each of the 262 licensed Pet Shops twice annually. 

 There was 95% completion of this program in fy 1988. 

 These inspections do not take the place of regular visits, 

 complaint investigations by agents of the Massachusettts 

 Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and 

 Animal Rescue League of of Boston and New Bedford, 

 but do serve as a useful procedure by which each licensed 

 shop is visited at least twice yearly. A form of "preventa- 

 tive medicine", these inspections frequently solve 

 problems before they can become acute. 



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