24 November 2004 - DEFRA 2003 Report on Zoonoses in the UK
The report is not only informative for professionals, but hopes to provide an insight into the importance of zoonoses to non-professionals.
There are many areas where zoonotic infections can occur in man, such as the following:
- Foodborne, which is the main cause within the UK.
- Waterborne
- Direct contact
- Through insect vectors
The Working Group Chair commented:
"This is a unique report highlighting trends at a national level but also variations and trends within the UK as zoonotic infections are not uniformly distributed throughout the UK. Rates of campylobacter food poisoning continue to decrease. The number of salmonella reports last year was approximately half that noted in the mid- 90s.
However there has been a rise in certain strains of Salmonella enteritidis and these have been associated with a number of outbreaks linked to the consumption of imported eggs. Rates of E. coli O157 infection in Scotland continue to decline from previously high levels. The report also describes the control measures in Northern Ireland in response to the outbreak of brucellosis. "
The DEFRA report was in collaboration with many organisations and can be accessed by clicking the following: Defra UK Zoonoses reports
Article by Alexandra Johnston
