exanthema eradication program.

Mr. WHITTEN. I would like for the record to show with respect to the report Mr. Marshall has asked for, that you have met the need insofar as personnel is concerned, by having these people attend to this vesicular exanthema job as against other work. But even there you had to take them off the other job and to that extent as Mr. Marshall has said, it has been an expense. Though your same people did this job at the same rate of salary and at no more dollar cost, it was at some sacrifice of the work which they would otherwise have been doing.

Dr. SIMMS. Which we were not able to forget, because the State livestock santiary authorities who were working on brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication in the different States really asked us some pretty pointed questions "Why are you pulling this man away from this program in North Dakota, or New York, and putting him on this hog disease?"

With regard to the cost of the vesicular exanthema control program, we can give the amount the States have spent on indemnities. It would be rather difficult to give the cost of personnel because we would have to more or less guess at how many men the different States have put on it.

Mr. HUNTER. Somebody mentioned that some of these State people were questioning your program, wondering why you were taking so many people off of other projects and putting them on this particular project.

What kind of cooperation generally have you received from agencies within the State of California?

Dr. SIMMS. We have not had an eradication program in the State of California, but I would say that in general we get very good cooperation from Dr. Boyd, the State veterinarian in California. He has been an excellent supporter of the program. We have not had an eradication program in California, thinking the disease would be attacked in California last. We would try to get rid of it in the other States first. But I would like to say for your information that we have gotten very fine cooperation from Dr. Boyd and his coworkers.

DISEASES OF POULTRY AND SWINE

Mr. ANDERSEN. The second item of increase has to do with diseases of poultry and swine, $235,000.

It appears that two diseases which require special attention are air-sac disease in poultry and atrophic rhinitis of swine.

What is the present situation with respect to both of those diseases?

AIR-SAC DISEASE

Dr. SIMMS. The disease which is spoken of as air-sac infection in poultry, as you will probably remember, became increasingly serious. among the broiler producers during the year 1951. Starting in the spring of that year it built up until the winter of 1951-52 when it was causing loss of very large numbers of poultry in the broiler areas.

You will recall that last year we used available funds and started research work in cooperation with the experiment stations in areas. where research work could be done. That work is being continued. We are making progress, but the losses from air-sac infection, socalled, are still heavy and we are hoping to continue this work.

You will recall that before we entered into contracts with the experiment stations, this was discussed with the committee. It was with your permission that that was done. These contracts will be running out. We think that this work should be continued and the only way we can continue it is to rewrite the contracts.

Mr. ANDERSEN. You would state that this air-sac condition is really quite a serious problem in poultry?

Dr. SIMMS. It is and has been a very serious problem.

The broiler industry has come to be a big industry. This disease has caused very heavy losses resulting in millions of dollars.

ATROPHIC RHINITIS

Mr. ANDERSEN. Now will you discuss the atrophic rhinitis situation?

Dr. SIMMS. This disease, insofar as we know, was recognized in the United States only about 10 or 12 years ago. Workers at Purdue University were the first to see and describe it as a specific and definite disease in this country.

It spread, not too rapidly, but we began to hear more about it. People began to ask us more about it. By 1945 or 1946 we began to realize that it was fanning out.

By 1947 or 1948 it became serious enough so that we began asking about the possibility of getting some research started, both by our own people and at the different State experimental stations.

It has become increasingly serious. It has spread until now we know it is present in all of the Corn Belt States where hog production is fairly or very large. The swine producers themselves have come to us with requests that we do something about it.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Are you spending any money today in research? Dr. SIMMS. Yes, we are doing some research. Here again is one of those instances where we didn't come in and ask for a special appropriation, but we thought the pressure was great enough on atrophic rhinitis and we started some work on that, and just continued or held in abeyance some of the other projects.

AIR-SAC DISEASE OF POULTRY

Mr. ANDERSEN. Now reverting to this air-sac disease of poultry, I believe you received an additional $75,000 for research on this specific disease for 1953.

Dr. SIMMS. That's right. It was a $75,000 increase to the appropriation.

I might say this air-sac money is almost all being spent at the different experimental stations.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Doctor, since this same amount will be available next year, assuming that no reduction will be made in the appropriation below 1953, why are you asking for further additional funds?

Dr. SIMMS. Yes; the $75,000 would be available, but funds used in the original contracts in 1952 will be exhausted when the 2 years are up. The research work will then fall back to the level that can be supported by the $75,000, unless we have some other methods of support.

In other words, this is to continue work that is already under way.

RESEARCH ON SWINE DISEASES

Mr. ANDERSEN. Doctor, your Bureau has allocated $380,000, which we furnished you in 1953 for research on swine diseases. What major projects are covered by that $380,000 and what priority do you place on each?

Dr. SIMMS. We are doing some work with atrophic rhinitis at this time. We have increased the work on that as the disease has become more prevalent and a more serious disease.

We are doing some work with hog cholera. We have worked particularly with the new strains of the hog-cholera virus that we found 2 years ago, a type of virus that would produce hog cholera even though the hogs were vaccinated with the antiserum.

We're working with swine erysipelas, a troublesome disease that has been spreading somewhat in this country. We have developed a method of vaccination-I say "we" have, but it was developed in Europe and we worked on it here and improved it. We are still working on that and are studying the methods of spread and trying to get a better vaccine.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Some of these you have been working on for a good many years?

Dr. SIMMS. That's right.

Mr. ANDERSEN. I presume you have hopes of finding a satisfactory solution?

Dr. SIMMS. Yes, we're making progress I say "we." I don't do the work so I am not complimenting myself. Our men did very good work with the outbreak of cholera that came from regular vaccination 2 years ago when we got the new strain of virus in. We are still doing some work with that because it is still a headache to us. You know it caused quite heavy losses the summer before last, in the Corn Belt.

COORDINATION OF RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Mr. ANDERSEN. Now, in the justification for the Office of Experiment Stations it indicates the need for an increase in research in animal diseases. Now isn't that about the same thing you are pro

posing here?

Dr. SIMMS. I think the amount of duplication between the experiment stations and the Bureau in animal disease work is surely held down to a minimum.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Then we get back to the same old thing that bothers us, coordination.

Dr. SIMMS. We do have excellent coordination.

Mr. ANDERSEN. I am glad to have your assurance on that.

Dr. SIMMS. We do have excellent coordination. I am personally acquainted with the veterinarian in charge of the research work in at least 45 of the 48 experiment stations in the United States.

Mr. ANDERSEN. They are not doing the work you are doing?

Dr. SIMMS. They work in cooperation with us. They know what we are doing and we know what they are doing. We sit around the table and plan the work before it starts. For instance, on the bloat program, we called a meeting in Chicago and everyone who was working on that was there.

30505-53-pt. 2- -23

INCREASED PERSONNEL FOR POULTRY AND SWINE RESEARCH

Mr. ANDERSEN. Now, Doctor, in relation to the $235,000 additional you requested for research in diseases of poultry and swine, how many new people do you contemplate and what will they do? Please supply that for the record.

(The information requested follows:)

PERSONNEL NEEDED FOR INCREASE ON DISEASES OF POULTRY AND SWINE Air sac infection of poultry.-None.

Includes

Atrophic rhinitis of swine.-Determination of causative agent methods of diagnosis, mode of transmission, preventive measures and treatments. studies of role of trichomonads, pathology, etiology, etc.

1 GS-12 parasitologist

1 GS-12 veterinarian

1 GS-12 pathologist

1 GS-11 veterinarian

1 GS- 7 parasitologist
4 GS-3 agricultural aids
2 GS-2 agricultural aids

Mr. HORAN. I think in the case of air-sac you will be able to have contractual relations.

Mr. BUTLER. There would be no increase of personnel under air-sac. Mr. HORAN. You are continuing to make this a department project, this rhinitis work?

Dr. SIMMS. Yes. There will be some increase in personnel there. ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL AND ERADICATION IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI

ERADICATION OF SCABIES

Mr. ANDERSEN. Now, Doctor, the next item concerns $35,000 additional requested for scabies eradication in Louisiana and Mississippi. In fiscal year 1953 you received $172,000 for eradication of scabies. How is that being used?

Dr. SIMMS. The money that is available is being used mainly in the States of Mississippi and Louisiana, with small amounts being used in other States.

Scabies in sheep was at one time a very serious disease in the range country. Mr. Horan mentioned the fact that as far back as 1905 we were spending money to eradicate that disease, and we did eradicate it. We went for many years with no scabies being reported at all in the big range States where sheep run in large numbers. However, we never did get the disease completely licked in some of the small-flock areas. It was smoldering along, for instance, in places like Arkansas and particularly in Mississippi and Louisiana. We had it almost licked in Louisiana one year and our money ran out. The war came on, our men went into the Army, and scab took hold again.

Now, when sheep got high priced, they moved some out of Louisiana. Those sheep moved in a direction in which sheep don't ordinarily move. In other words, Louisiana sheep went to Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. That isn't normal. And when they did, they took sheep. scab with them. Texas had sheep scab in 54 counties, and it was a tough picture. Sheep scab showed up in South Dakota, in California, and Kansas.

The sheepmen themselves came in and said, "We must get rid of sheep scab in Louisiana and in Mississippi, in order to protect our big sheep industry of the West." Louisiana and Mississippi, having relatively small sheep industries, had never been particularly active in trying to get funds from their State legislatures to eradicate the disease.