Guest guest Posted March 5, 2001 Report Share Posted March 5, 2001 From an article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1197000/1197552.stm)regarding the current epidemic: "Vaccines do exist against the disease, but they bring their own problems. A vaccinated animal produces antibodies in its blood system that protect it against the disease. "But an infected animal produces the same antibodies. So a country testing imported animals would not easily be able to tell if they had the disease of if they had simply been vaccinated. "That problem could be overcome, said Professor Stuart, but it would take time. It also takes several weeks for the vaccine to become effective in an animal, he said. And as the virus spreads so quickly, the whole of the UK herd would have to be vaccinated immediately for it to be useful. "'No quick fix' "Finally, though the virus does not cause disease in vaccinated animals, it can still produce a persistent infection, which can sit latent in the animals for up to a year. "'If the animal is subjected to stress, transported around perhaps, then the disease can come to the surface again and that animal would then be the potential starting point for another outbreak of the disease,' said Professor Stuart. "Professor Duffus agrees that vaccination is no quick fix. "'Once we start vaccinating, in my opinion, in terms of animal products, we almost become third world. No-one is going to want our products, no-one is going to want our live animals and no-one is going to want our breeding stock.'" How is it that it's a bad, bad thing to vaccinate livestock, so bad people won't even use it to breed, but not to vaccinate our Selfs, our children and our companion animals? Be... Peace.............................. :-> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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