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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (1) how many cases of the liver disease blackhead have been detected in commercial turkey farms in the UK, in each of the past 10 years for which records are available; [204999] (2) what measures her Department has taken to protect commercial turkey farmers from the liver disease blackhead. [205000] Mr. Bradshaw: Blackhead is not a notifiable disease so it is not possible to provide an accurate figure for the number of cases. Over the past 10 years the number of incidents of blackhead in turkeys recorded on VIDA by VLA and SAC for England, Scotland and Wales between 1994 and 2003 are listed in the table: (VIDA-Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis database, VLA-Veterinary Laboratories Agency, SAC-Scottish Agricultural College) _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number 1994 6 1995 13 1996 7 1997 9 1998 6 1999 6 2000 6 2001 8 2002 11 2003 29 Total 101 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 21 incidents have been recorded on VIDA so far during 2004 from England and Wales. In addition to the diagnoses of blackhead recorded on VIDA, other cases may be diagnosed by veterinarians in practice, without submitting material to the VLA. To obtain a better idea of the current prevalence of the disease in the industry as a whole a questionnaire has been prepared in conjunction with Defra and supplied to the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) for their members to report any cases they encounter. Veterinary colleagues in practice have also been encouraged to use the questionnaire to provide surveillance information on the disease particularly in cases where the diagnosis is not confirmed by the VLA. Two questionnaires have been received relating to blackhead in turkeys in 2004 from flocks of 30 and 77 birds. Information on the prevention of Blackhead in Turkeys is available on the Defra website at http:// defraweb/animalh/diseases/other/blackhead.htm.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

428 c1113-4W; 204999;205000

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Diseases Poultry Livestock Veterinary services Liver diseases

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk