Pet Travel: Europe Agrees Additional Tapeworm Controls
The British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association have welcomed the announcement that the European Council and European Parliament have adopted the Commission's delegated regulation to allow the pre-movement treatment for dogs travelling to listed Member States that are free of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis (i.e. the UK, Ireland, Finland and Malta).
The UK's exemption from European pet travel rules, which allows additional protection for the UK against rabies, ticks and tapeworms, will end on 31 December 2011. The movement rules on rabies and ticks will now be harmonised with the rest of Europe but, after extensive lobbying, a new regulation has been agreed to ensure that a dog must be treated by a veterinary surgeon 24 to 120 hours (1 – 5 days) before entering one of the listed countries.
This has come as a result of the BVA and BSAVA (working with Defra, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and colleagues in Veterinary Ireland) continuing to lobby for controls on tapeworms to be maintained, due to the significant public health risk posed by EM.
Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, commented: “Although EM is relatively benign in dogs, the resulting disease in humans – alveolar echinococcus – is an invasive, cancer-like cystic state of the parasite, and is invariably fatal if not treated. It is therefore vital to maintain tapeworm controls to keep this serious zoonotic disease out of the country.”
Andrew Ash, President of the BSAVA, added: “Whilst border controls are important, they are not infallible. The pet owning public must be made aware through education that tapeworm treatment is not a bureaucratic hurdle, but a measure that might save their lives. We don't have this disease in the UK and we don't want it.”
“The BVA and BSAVA will continue to promote the best possible health and welfare advice for pet owners taking their pets abroad. Our advice to owners is to speak to a vet as early as possible to make sure pets are protected from all diseases and parasites encountered abroad.”
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
