Saturday, January 28, 2006

Victims and Villains

This week's Farmers Guardian carries a letter from Worcester veterinary practitioner, David Denny, MRCVS which goes a long way to explaining why badgers are both the villains and the victims of the tuberculosis epidemic. His letter begins:

"It is ironic that those who attempt to exonerate badgers of being the reservoir of infection for cattle, show such little concern for the suffering those badgers undergo."

Mr. Denny then explains the epidemiology of tuberculosis in both species and explains why cattle rarely transmit the bacteria even to each other, let alone other species. He concludes:

"..... Is it hypocritical of Martin Hancox and his ilk to allow the suffering of the infected badgers, never mind the mass slaughter of cattle and the despair of the farmers concerned, to be further prolonged? ." read in full

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would that be the same David Denny MRCVS who used his "expert" veterinary knowledge to such good effect at the ISG open meeting?

Mr Denny sat patiently for nearly three hours listening to the hotly contested results of the krebs trials. Did he chose to use his veterinary knowledge to question the validity of the trial results; did he use his years of first hand veterinary skills to question the ISG 'edge-effect' theory ? No, he chose to throw cheap shots about Bourne by accusing him of being on the side of the badger groups becuase he was on first name terms with one of their members! You couldn't make this up!

He let down the veterinary profession and the farming industry by not holding the Bourne group to account.

Matthew said...

Possibly Mr. Denny (if it was the same person?) finds it easier to put his thoughts and experience in writing, than to address a crowded meeting. Each to his own.

Most of the 'challenging' of the Krebs trial would have been done 'at a distance'.

It is only those of us in the middle of its crazy protocols, chaotic ineptitude, changed boundaries and/or lack of any response whatsoever in Reactive or Proactive areas, that could have argued cogently - and I suspect they would have been a bit thin on the ground at this jolly.

Anonymous said...

David Denny is my local vet and has been treating my pets for the last 30 years. He is by far the best vet in our area.