Sir, I must make a brief response to Tumbull's suggestion (1995 Animal Welfare 3: 340) that I am misinformed in my belief that cattle are infectious immediately after exposure to the tuberculosis organism. There seem to be two schools of thought on this issue, and yet it is one of critical importance in tackling the final stages of tuberculosis eradication schemes. On the one hand it is claimed that only cattle with gross visible lesions at abattoir inspection are capable of passing on tuberculosis (TB) to other cattle (Gallagher 1980; Dunnet et al 1986; Tumbull 1994; Wilesmith & Williams 1986). On the other hand this view is not substantiated by other studies on the aetiology and pathogenesis of cattle TB. For most adult cattle, tuberculosis seems to start as a lung infection following inhalation of infected aerosolised sputum or dust. Primary lesions may heal, but more usually they remain open, and may persist as the subclinically latent condition, or progress slowly or rapidly to chronic, or fatal and acute bronchopneumonia. And even where an apparent sealed tubercle develops, it would seem that intracanalicular bronchiolar spread continues, such that intermittent or continuous bacterial shedding occurs in the sputum. Therefore cattle with micro-lesions that would be missed at gross abattoir inspection could be infectious to other cattle despite being non-visibly-lesioned in the lungs or visibly-lesioned only in bronchomediastinal lymph nodes. Such cattle may also be producing infectious faeces via swallowed sputum (Blood et al 1979; Francis 1947; Jubb & Kennedy 1970; Neill et al 1994; Richards 1972).

The following notes have largely been collated from the publishers ‘publicity material. A Report or full Review may appear in a subsequent issue of Animal Welfare.

After centuries of providing social companionship and useful functions for millions of people, companion animals are ‘coming of age’ as legitimate subjects for research concerning their intra- and interspecific behaviour and the role they can play in therapy programmes for various groups of people. As both companion animal section editor of Animal Welfare and as programme chairman of the 7th international conference on human-animal interactions, Animals, Health and Quality of Life, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, 6-9 September 1995, it is my pleasure to invite our readers to attend this important occasion.

Sir, I would like to comment on the short unsigned review of the Codes of Recommendations and Minimum Standards for the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Slaughter at Licensed and Approved Premises published in Animal Welfare 4(3): August 1995.