Author wrote:
Dear Burkie, good to hear from you after this time,
Your letter of last night raises three main issues.
1) Vaccine production.
We do produce vaccine here, it has just never been used here, other than in
experimental labs, etc..
We know that Argentina can produce 20 million doses a month (BBC Countryfile
[TV] 2001). Scientists here might argue that it's easier to manufacture bulk
supplies in a country or area where the disease is endemic because it makes
little or no difference if bio-security fails and the virus slips out. I see the
point, but do not feel reassured; I would feel much happier if our Government
expressed confidence in our ability to match the Argentinian capability and
scale up production rapidly.
2)I can't say in all honesty that I have really followed the situation in
Argentina, although obviously I have heard the allegations about attempting to
cover it up, initial denial, etc. The five rounds of vaccination needed are
precisely the sort of argument against vaccination that was used in 2001 – it
never ends, there's no exit strategy, etc, and I believe also emphasise the point
of the RCVS that if you are going to vaccinate you should begin as soon as
possible, preferably by Day 8.
3) I will have to look up the Hilton Quota, I don't know what it is. I do
know that I feel sorry for the South Americans with regard to FMD -- imported
from Europe (some say Britain) in the 19th Century, which absolutely nobbles
their primary product in the marketplace. If I were a reforming politician
looking to help disadvantaged nations develop their economies and help my own
(relative) poor by providing cheap food, then I would want to encourage South
American imports into Europe, provided home production isn't jeopardised by the
process, which in the case of Argentina is covered by all sorts of protocols
(Bledisloe Arrangements etc. ) as I expect you will know.
Did someone conspire to shove people like me out of the way? I don't think
so, at least not within the UK – too expensive, too risky electorally if it came
to light.
Part 2.
Six months ago or more I was meant to get back to you re this -- I had just
come across an article co-written by NJ Knowles the day your query arrived ,
one of Pirbrights' top men, I would say from looking at his output, length of
service, missions given, etc. I couldn't pin down Mason – I think you have one
in Plum Island but that may be a different man; from memory, you have a
Professor Mason who is big in GM advances in Veterinary Medicines, but I can't find
the details right now, have them somewhere. I lost the details with his
initials – was it a P Mason.?
Were they cooking something up? Very hard to say. Knowles gets sent out on
these bio- determination tasks, has been doing it for a long time, so he may
have been advising on the tricky nature of Pan Asia O , atypical, asymptomatic
and sub-clinical infection -- you wouldn't want it – as discovered by the
Taiwanese, Japanese, and Dutch etc.-- (see " Unapparrent foot and mouth disease
infection [sub-clinical infections and carriers]: implications for control" by
Paul Sutmoller and R.Casas Olascoaga, in OIE Scientific and Technical Revue,
Volume 21(3), December 2002, editor G.R. Thomson, pages 519–529, page 521 in
particular), they may have been discussing vaccines against it, goodness only
knows.
I hope all is well with you, Gary,
all the best,
Chris.