For immediate release: Thursday 24 April 2003 (World Day for Laboratory Animals)

INCREASING INCIDENCE OF EPIDEMICS SUCH AS SARS?
NEW ZEALAND TO BECOME SOURCE OF SUCH EPIDEMICS?
ANTI-VIVISECTIONISTS CALL FOR OUTRIGHT BAN ON XENOTRANSPLANTS

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND:

The NZ Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) is appealing to the Government to reduce the chance of New Zealand becoming a source for epidemics such as SARS. The anti-vivisectionists claim that SARS-like epidemics could become more frequent should xenotransplantation (transplantation of organs between species - especially animal to human) be legalised.

"We are continuing our calls for the present moratorium on xenotransplantation to be made into a permanent ban in order to protect public health", said Phil Clayton, NZAVS Director.

"It has been reported that SARS may have originated from pigs or poultry. The present epidemic should be viewed as a warning against the use of pigs as organ donors for humans, as it is impossible to screen for unknown viruses", he said.

"Xenotransplantation bypasses the natural human barriers such as skin and digestive system. If a virus that was harmless to pigs, but harmful to humans was transmitted due to xenotransplants that took place in New Zealand, the consequences for both public health and the economy would be disastrous", said Mr Clayton.

Xenotransplantation is an issue that NZAVS is highlighting to urge the government to abolish vivisection due to its effects on human health, rather than treating vivisection as an agriculture or animal welfare matter.

For further comment please contact:

Phil Clayton
Director, New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society Incorporated
Phone: (03) 379-0093 E-mail: phil@kiwimail.net.nz

Notes to Editors:

1. The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society Incorporated was founded in 1978 by Bette Overell, and during the 1980s and 1990s organised spectacular marches through the streets of Wellington and other NZ cities on 24 April (World Day for Laboratory Animals) each year, in support of our Petitions to Abolish the LD50 Test (1984), and to Abolish Vivisection (1989). The latter Petition achieving over 100,000 signatures.



2. To commemorate World Day for Laboratory Animals 2003, NZAVS is not organising a public protest on the scale of those that have gone before, but is instead focussing on continuing to educate the public on why vivisection is a human health issue. To this end we have been taking a more subtle approach with activities such as library displays and postering.



3. The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society presented the case for an outright ban on xenotransplantation to the Finance and Expenditure Committee in our Submission on Supplementary Order Paper No. 231, in January 2002. This submission can be viewed at: http://www.nzavs.org.nz/submissions/sop231.html



4. In May 2002 the Medicines Act was amended to implement a moratorium on xenotransplantation that is to expire after 30 June 2003. The Minister of Health is proposing to extend the moratorium for a further two years to 30 June 2005.



5. There are many arguments against xenotransplantation (failure rate, rejection, biological differences, animal welfare, environmental degradation, cost etc), but NZAVS is concentrating on the overwhelming danger to public health from xenotransplants.



6. A "layperson's guide" to the problems of xenotransplants, a Report by the (US) Medical Research Modernization Committee (Alix Fano MA, Murry J. Cohen MD, Marjorie Cramer MD, Ray Greek MD, Stephen Kaufman MD) can be viewed at: http://www.crt-online.org/mrmc.html

ENDS