ANIMAL HUSBANDRY / CATTLE DISEASES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A004500020008-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 11, 2002
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 11, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

COUNTRY Poland
Approved For Release 2002/07/29 : CIA-RDP80-00926A004500020008-4
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT An:. --Iusbandry/Cattle Diseases
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Daatribation of Cattle Breeds in Fre-1944 Poland:
In Lorthweat Poland nearly all cattle raised were mall dairy cattle. The most
popalar breed was the Rasa Fryzyiska - or Hollander - a black- end-white dairy
breed imported from the Netherlands. In the region of the Carpathian mountains
raatly Samantaler dairy cattle from Switzerland are found. This is true
acpecially of eastern Silesia. In eastern Galicia, SementaIer and Polish Red-
beer cattle are found. In the area around Lublin, Palish Red cattle predominate.
The aortheast corner has a variety of breeds including Polish Red, Hollander,
end sone T Tn the smaller communities of central and eastern Poland
croas-breaaaal 7S vase prevalent. Pure breeds, are more common to western
Pciaaa, The hybrid aninala give less milk but are better able ta resist disease,
especially tu'aerealosis. The central plains area has both Polish Red and
Hollanders Of all the pure breeds, the Polish Red withstands disease the best
bat are amallaa and give less
a. Village Husbandry
in til rtFal areas each village does its own slaughtering and usually conaumes
maat (a- the resulting products locally. The larger herds send their slaughter
beef to the larger caties by rail. mally private veterinariars are
cammaaaspned
by the government ta be part-time meat inspectors. The town of
'aatan (papa:Lstionlarea - sia thcuaand, 52020N, 19?40'E) normally had about
2C ttas.asa haad c-f cattle in the aoviat surrounding it (poviat Coatynin). Most
af the aattle were Hollanders but quite a few were Simentalen. At the Village
af'6-Saviazyn (population tao thousand) in poviat Kaiis (5l?55'N, 18?06)
the stockyards slaughtered eight or ten cattle per week and about 50 hogs, There
were about 50 - 60 thousand cattle in this entire poviat - mostly H011ander and
Palish Red. Some large dairy herds of one hundred to five hundred head are to
be found normally in this area. Rambuget and Merino sheep are found in this
pcviat.
3. Hoof and Mouth Disease
Pure bred dairy cattlsuch as the Hollanders and the Semantalers are the most
susceptible to all types of endemic and epidemic diseases. Therefore, although
hoof and mouth disease occurs all overs\Poland, it is most prevalent in the
a
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western dairy area. The country's most serious epidemic of this disease
occurred in Poland in 1937 and 1938. During 1936 the disease was carried from
North Africa into France by infected sheep. From France it progressed eastward
into Poland. It is interesting to note that although strict border controls
Were imposed long before 'the disease reached Poland, the infection spread
rapidly. It was discovered that the disease germs were carried by birds flying
from Germany. The "passage" of the disease over such distances and such a
period of time weakened the potency of the germs and lessened the effects of the
plague.
The disease existed in five distinct types, known as Aq B, C, D, and O. Type A
is the most severe and also the rarest in Poland. The plague of 1937-1938 was of
the type 0 germ which is about medium in severity. Cattle surviving one type of
germ are still susceptible to the other types and are immune to the original type
for only two years.
The treatment of hoof and mouth disease proceeded without the use of serum.
When cattle became infected, both farmers and privately?practicing veterinarians
were required by law to call in a government veterinarian. When the disease
was diagnosed, the entire herd was quarantined and infected with the disease.
This was usually done by placing a cloth in the mouth of an infected ant/Tell and
transferring it to the. mouths of others. In this manner the entire herd would
come down with the disease but with a lighter case than if exposed in the normal
way. The quarantine would be in effect for one month or longer, with possibly
one or two deaths out of 25.- 30 head. In the area around Rippin, two hundred
cttle died of hoof and mouth disease in two months. Even during epidemics the
meat from infected cattle would be sold to the public unless abscessed. sr
4. Other Diseases
(A) During World War I the Russians brought in a new cattle disease known to us
only as Peetus bovum. 'All cattle were equally susceptible to this It
struck in isolated spots in far eastern Poland, killing whole herds in
two days. The meat of the infected animals was fatal to humans; hence,
its sale was st,pped.
CB):Erysyphilj.s (rezyca swin) infected hogs. A vaccine was used successfully
'against it in ,.ost areas.
(C) Anthrax or Naglik" was strongest in Galicia. A Russian vaccine was used
with moderate success.
CD) Nog Oholeresor "pest" was leirly'well controlled by a serum manufactured at
theKlawelaboratory in Warsaw. The serum was called something like
"surowica poserow pomorowa".
(E) Tuberculosis existed in the cattle herds of the west mostly, sometimes
infeeting'50% es70% of the pure bred dairy herdsa se
.(11?) Bang's diisasealso-prevailed in the west part of the country.
, .
(G) Pleura neuMenit ContagiosaboVumforbronchial pneumonia, is a virus disease
which broke Out in 1933 and 1935o It-hed a high mortality rate, wiping out
whole herds when it struck. Two thousand cattle died in one poviat-in a
-short time. The-meat was sold for human consumption, except for the organs.
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