BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOCIATION CONGRESS SEPTEMBER 1967

The Annual Congress of the British Veterinary Association will be held at Southport, England, from 17 to 23 September. The Secretary of the BVA, Mr. John A. Ander$on, M.R.C.V.S., has written to invite any members of the Australian Veterinary Association who are in England at that time to attend the Congress. The programme includes papers on a wide variety of subjects of interest to veterinarians in every branch of the profession. In addition, there will be plenary sessions at which distinguished veterinary and other scientists will address the Congress. Visits of a varied nature are also arranged for members and their wives. Further information on the Congress and the programme have been published in The Veterinary Record of 4 March 1967 and other issues. Members who might be in England and able to attend the Congress as delegates from the Australian Veterinary Association are asked to contact the Registrar, Mr. R. E. Churchward, in Sydney.

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS ON CHEESE4'

It is interesting to note the announcement made recentlv by the Commonwealth Minister for Health, Dr. A. J . Forbes, that quarantine regulations concerning the pasteurization of imported cheese would be further deferred. The regulations were gazetted in July, 1966. as a result of recommendations from the National Health and Medical Research Council that only cheese made from pasteurized milk should be imported into Australia because of a risk to human and animal health from the survival of the organisms of a severe form of brucellosis in cheese made from unpasteurized milk (the form caused by Britcellir nielirensis). In September 1966. the application of the regulations was deferred when cheese importers and exporting countries pointed out difficulties in complying with testing and certification procedures called for in the regulations. In his rcccnt statement, made in mid-March, Dr. Forbes said three Australian States (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia) had enacted legislation which would prevent the sale of cheese made from unpasteurized milk, whether locally made or imported. It was understood that other States were planning similar legislation. The Commonwealth regulations had been designed to complement the State legislation by preventing the importation of cheese which might contain disease organisms. However, because of the practical difficulties in applying regulations about pasteurization of imported cheese, the matter would be referred back to the National Health and Medical Research Council. So the matter, which proved to be rather more controversial than was apparently anticipated, comes back to where it started. Dr. Forbes has expressed the belief that the Council will take into consideration the possibility of a time specification for the maturation of cheese if scientific opinion is that this will provide a practical way of ensuring that imported cheese contains no harmful organisms. On another cheese question. distinct from the brucellosis problem, Dr. Forbes has announced that regulations prohibiting the importation of cheese containing meat or packed in animal tissue and restricting the importation of cheese by air from certain countries will be reintroduced. Under these regulations the importation of cheese by air will be permitted only from Canada, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the United States. These regulations will be designed to prevent the possible introduction of foot and mouth disease, the virus of which is destroyed by acids in cheese during the time taken for a sea voyage. Dr. Forbes commented that the question of the hygienic quality of imported cheese was mainly a public health matter and would be determined after a further report from the National Health and Medical Research Council. There was. however, a clear-cut need to prevent the importation of cheese which might carry foot and mouth disease. an outbreak of which among Australia's livestock could become a national disaster. (The Minister stated 'that quarantine regulations concerning the pasteurization of imported cheese would be further deferred'. The facts are that Quarantine (Animals) Regulation 81A, which is the regulation referred to, was repealed, not deferred, in November, 1966, by Statutory Rules 1966 No. 155. Editor, Australian Veterinary Journal.) 'Reproduced by permission from Med. J. Aust., l(14):
717 ( X April. 191i7).

THE AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGISTS

The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists was formed recently by a number of scientists interested in various aspects of pharmacology. The office bearers are: President, Prof R. F. Whelan; President Elect, Prof. E. G . D ~ .B. J . Secretary, Dr. R, Howard; Asst. secretary, Lake: Treasurer, Dr. K. Higgins; Assistant Treasurer, Dr. N . Percy This Society is intended to attract people actively engaged in or interested in the development, application and activity of drugs, and who are graduates or qualified persons in the fields of medicine, pharmacological science, veterinary science or the biological sciences. It is intended that members shall present papers of a scientific nature at meetings. Veterinarians engaged in pharmacological research may be interested in joining the Society, particularly as it will provide opportunities for contact with pharmacologists in other professions. Members of the veterinary profession who 233

McQueeni

Airs/rdimi Veierincrrv Jorrrrid, Vol. 43. June, I967