Diseases of Animals Act explained

The Diseases of Animals Acts are a series of acts of Parliament of the UK to deal with the possibility of the accrual of economic harm or intra-species contamination. They follows on from the 19th-century series notation Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act. The act of 1884 was designed to combat "heavy losses" due to cattle diseases such as rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).^[1]

The series was consolidated by the Diseases of Animals Act 1950.^[2] The act of 1950 authorised the Ministry, when all other avenues of tuberculin prevention failed, to cull badgers,^[3] and to halt the transportation of cattle from herds prone to FMD.^[4] Apparently the definition of poultry needed to be extended in 1953, to include birds of the species psittaciformes, doves, peafowl and swans.^[5] The series was stopped and continued by the Animal Health Act 1981 (c. 22).^{[6] [7]}

• Diseases of Animals Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 57)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 15)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1903 (3 Edw. 7. c. 43)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1909 (9 Edw. 7. c. 26)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1910 (10 Edw. 7 & 1 Geo. 5. c. 20)
• Diseases of Animals (Ireland) Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 40)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. 5. c. 8)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1924 (14 & 15 Geo. 5. c. 3)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 63)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1927 (17 & 18 Geo. 5. c. 13)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1935 (25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 31)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1950 (14 Geo. 6. c. 36)
• Diseases of Animals Act 1975 (c. 40)

See also

• Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967

Notes and References

1. Book: The Economics of Animal Health and Production. 9781845932442. Rushton. Jonathan. 2009.
2. Web site: Diseases of Animals Act 1950: consolidation of Diseases of Animals Acts 1894-1937 . The National Archives.
3. Book: Badgers, cattle and tuberculosis: Report to the Right Honourable Peter Walker, MBE, MP. 9780112403555. Zuckerman. Baron Solly Zuckerman. Walker. Peter Edward. 1980-11-03. H.M. Stationery Office .
4. Book: Foot and mouth disease: The 1967 outbreak and its aftermath. Reynolds. L. A.. Wellcome Trust (London. England). Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. 2003-12-08. Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL . 9780854840960.
5. Web site: The Diseases of Animals (Extension of Definition of Poultry) Order 1953 . legislation.gov.uk.
6. Book: Food Legislation of the UK: A Concise Guide. 9781483182636. Jukes. D. J.. 2013-09-11. Elsevier .
7. Book: Black's Veterinary Dictionary. 9781408149553. 2015-03-26. Boden. Edward. Andrews. Anthony. Bloomsbury .