NOAH's comment on changes to the Pet Travel Scheme

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) would like to make veterinary surgeons aware of the industry perspective on the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) that took effect from 1 January 2012. These changes mean it is now easier for pet owners to travel abroad with their pets, while also ensuring that the UK remains rabies free.

The changes harmonise the UK’s pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the rest of Europe. The changes have led to some veterinary surgeons expressing concerns about the potential for an increased risk of introducing rabies to the UK. DEFRA have stated that a detailed risk assessment has shown that the risk will continue to below, largely due to the eradication of rabies from much of Western Europe. They say that the level of risk to the public has substantially reduced in recent years as the incidence of rabies in domestic and wild animal populations in the EU and other countries has decreased. The low incidence of the disease in popular travel destinations combined with the rabies vaccination requirement within the new rules mean that it remains highly unlikely that rabies will be introduced to the UK.

All travelling pets will still need to be vaccinated against rabies in order to travel to the EU and return to the UK. Pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia will no longer need a blood test and will have to wait 21 days after vaccination before they travel. Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will be able to enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test at least 30 days after vaccination and a three-month wait before they enter the UK.

Since the PETS travel scheme was launched approximately ten years ago, it has been noted that a small proportion of vaccinated animals has failed to reach the required rabies antibody titre of 0.5IU/ml. It is important to note that this serological test is an indirect measure of rabies immunity and those animals with lower antibody titres, even though they do not have the required titre for PETS, may be protected against disease.

Should vets be concerned about animals potentially failing to respond to the vaccine or achieve adequate antibody titres, a blood sample could be taken approximately 30 days after vaccination, to test for antibody levels. Alternatively if vets believe that this is appropriate, a second rabies vaccination, 3 to 4 weeks after the first injection, could be administered. It has been demonstrated that the administration of two injections increases the likelihood of achieving high levels of neutralising antibody. As with any vaccination, ideally the animal should be in good health and not receiving immunosuppressive medication at the time of administration of the vaccine.

For further information, please contact the Marketing Authorisation holder (i.e. the company who produces the vaccine.)

Tick treatment:

Another important consideration with respect to the changes to the requirements is that the requirement for tick treatment prior to entering the UK has been removed. Consequently, there is a risk that exotic tick species and the diseases that they transmit could be introduced to the UK. Diseases such as babesioisis and ehrlichiosis can cause severe clinical signs, and diagnosis and treatment of these diseases can be difficult and expensive. Tick species such as Rhipicephalus sanguineus, which is one of the tick species which could be introduced to the UK, is well documented as being capable of establishing itself in new habitats. NOAH recommends that owners travelling abroad with their pets should be advised of the risks of tick-borne disease and offered appropriate prophylaxis to reduce the risk to their own pets as well as pets that do not leave the UK.

Tape Worm treatment:

The UK continues to be allowed to require dogs to be treated against tapeworms. This is because of the potential risk of the zoonotic tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis being introduced into the UK which would represent a public health concern. It is important for vets and owners to be aware that all dogs must be treated for tapeworm between 1 and 5 days before re-entering the UK. The tapeworm treatment will need to be an approved/licensed veterinary medicine whose active ingredient is Praziquantel, or an equivalent product.

Pet owners planning to travel abroad with their animals are advised to discuss with their vets what they are required to do some time before their travel dates, as part of good animal health practice.

Ends

17 January 2012

Notes for Editors

1. For more information please contact Donal Murphy or Alison Glennon at NOAH on 020 8367 3131

2. More detailed information about the requirements of the PETS travel scheme can be accessed via the DEFRA website- http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2011/06/30/pb13582-bringing-pets-into-uk/ while independent guidelines on the control of exotic parasites and disease can be found at http://www.esccapuk.org.uk/.

3. Veterinary practices might also like to recommend NOAH’s Pet Health Information website, www.pethealthinfo.org.uk

4. Contact details for Marketing Authorisation Holders can be found on www.noahcompendium.co.uk

5. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. In 2010 NOAH's members accounted for around 90% of the UK animal medicines market.