Man’s Best Friend - or Your Worst Enemy?

LONDON - What are the dangers of you passing on an illness to your pet? And how at risk are you of contracting a life-threatening bug from your beloved cat or dog?

These are just some of the questions set to be answered at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s (RPSGB) conference, The development of veterinary medicines, taking place at its London headquarters on Monday 27 April.

A key issue up for discussion is the impact of zoonoses - human diseases acquired by infection from animals and other species - and their counterpart, reverse zoonoses.

The Royal Veterinary College’ s Lecturer in Veterinary Dermatology, Anette Loeffler, who will present ground-breaking research on the risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in pets said: “We all know the MRSA super-bug is a huge problem. MRSA is virtually present in all human hospitals in Great Britain and, while it is treatable, it is very resistant to antibiotics.

“We are starting to see patients coming out of hospital and transferring MRSA to their pets. The pets can become infected, or they can become healthy carriers of the bacteria, and pass them back to their owners.”

Research by the Royal Veterinary College team shows the need for vigilance by vets in both recognising infection with these highly-resistant bugs, and adopting effective hygiene strategies.

“Dogs and cats typically acquire MRSA if there are certain risks in place. These risks are similar to those found in human hospitals. For example, the animal might be on antibiotics, or they might be undergoing surgery to remove cancer or to have a broken bone set. When the animal’s skin is open, it increases the risk of infection.”

Reverse zoonoses - diseases created in the human world and passed onto animals - are not going to go away, said Dr Loeffler.

“Bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants, both in the human and animal worlds. Inevitably, we are going to see an increasing resistance to traditional treatment.”

Also presenting at the one-day conference is Michael Jepson, former course director of the RPSGB’s Veterinary Pharmacy Diploma. He said: “We simply do not know how many people are being infected by zoonoses. For example, there may be up to 3,000 cases of Lyme disease - an infection derived from a tick bite - in England at present, but we do not know exact numbers because there are no sufficiently comprehensive monitoring systems in place.”

Dr Jepson said globalisation is potentially playing a large part in the increasing spread of risks from zoonoses.

“There is a greater movement of livestock nowadays, and more people are bringing exotic pets into the country. For example, the potential risk of zoonotic infections from South American animals, like llamas and alpacas, in the UK is being closely monitored. The need to be able to adequately address levels of risk is paramount.”

Other issues under the spotlight at the conference include the impact of diseases of animal origin on the NHS, and the potential role of community pharmacists in control strategies.

The development of veterinary medicines, hosted in partnership with the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, will be held at the RPSGB’s head office in London. For more information, contact events@rpsgb.org. To view the programme, go to www.rpsgb.org/pdfs/sciconf090427.pdf.

Notes to Editors

1. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the professional and regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which is expected to become statutory under anticipated legislation. The primary objectives of the RPSGB are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of pharmacy.

The RPSGB leads and supports the development of the profession within the context of the public benefit. This includes the advancement of science, practice, education and knowledge in pharmacy. In addition, it promotes the profession’s policies and views to a range of external stakeholders in a number of different forums. Following the publication in 2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health

Professionals in the 21st Century, the RPSGB is working towards the de-merger of its regulatory and professional roles. This will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new professional body for pharmacy in 2010.

Source: Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB

For media enquiries please contact the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s Public Relations Unit +44(0)20-7572-2336