Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 17
1
2 Q. And page 64 actually?
3 A. I am sorry, I did not get that. I thought there seemed
4 to me to be some confusion. I think a day or two ago we
5 did explain the prophylactic use of antibiotics and what
6 I would like to know (and again this is one of the reasons
7 why I wanted to go and see the farm) is that many farmers
8 think of certain antibiotics only as additives in feeds.
9 In fact, they may be put in the feeds by the compounders
10 without their really knowing, although they are
11 antibiotics. Also, they very often regard the antibiotics
12 as penicillin. If it is not penicillin, then they do not
13 seem to take notice.
14
15 Now, Mr. Bowes has an outbreak of pig flu and again
16 I thought to myself: "Well, how is he going to deal with
17 that?" He surely -- he does not say he is a homeopathic
18 producer. The treatment for pig flu, recommended
19 treatment, includes a number of antibiotics. I should say
20 that pig flu, I have emphasised, it happens particularly in
21 stressed pigs. It is both viral and bacterial.
22
23 Now, the viral diseases are very often dealt with by
24 vaccinations, but the treatment of the bacterial side
25 involves several antibiotics. "The rapidity of onset" --
26 I quote here from the veterinary manual -- "makes treatment
27 difficult as does its persistence in infective herds.
28 Kanamycin, spiramycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim and
29 tylosin have been used as have sulfonamides".
30
31 Now, I mentioned in my earlier evidence a product with a
32 trade name Tylosul which is a mixture of tylosin and
33 sulfonamide. So, all I can say from the evidence that is
34 presented to me, I find it very strange what Mr. Bowes has
35 said, somewhat contradictory because I think there was some
36 confusion in the three references I have given you, and
37 I would be very, very surprised if antibiotics are not used
38 in the treatment of his pig flu amongst other things.
39
40 Q. Dr. Long, I fear that was a very, very long answer but not
41 an answer to the question which I asked you. They do not
42 use antibiotics routinely in the feed -- that is what
43 Mr. Bowes told us -- and it was unequivocal; certainly they
44 treat pig flu, he says so.
45 A. Well, you see, the other point about this treatment is
46 that it can be in the water and he did not say anything
47 about that.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think the matter which is being put to you
50 is not that he would not use antibiotics if there was an
51 outbreak of pig flu or if an individual pig suffered some
52 disease which was amenable to antibiotic therapy. What has
53 been put to you is routine in the sense that they get it
54 willy-nilly, do you understand?
55 A. I understand it only too well because this is a problem
56 that we are constantly faced with, that farmers do
57 not -----
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Listen to Mr. Rampton's next question then.
60
