Neospora is a parasite. Neospora caninum may cause abortions in cattle and paralysis in dogs. It is not considered to be infectious to humans. Clinical disease in dogs is rare and owners may not be aware of infection in their pet.

The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs was presented to Parliament in December 2017. It makes clear that a dog’s handler has a legal obligation to clean up after it (Welfare of Dogs). Similarly, the statutory guidance within the Countryside Code: Advice for Countryside Visitors, updated 01 April 2021, (Countryside Code) highlights the risk of illness to people and livestock, and sets out that dog handlers must clean up after the dog.

Guidance and advice for cattle owners on preventative measures has been provided by the National Animal Disease Information Service NADIS - National Animal Disease Information Service.

Neospora is a parasite. Neospora caninum may cause abortions in cattle and paralysis in dogs. It is not considered to be infectious to humans. Clinical disease in dogs is rare and owners may not be aware of infection in their pet.

The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs was presented to Parliament in December 2017. It makes clear that a dog’s handler has a legal obligation to clean up after it (Welfare of Dogs). Similarly, the statutory guidance within the Countryside Code: Advice for Countryside Visitors, updated 01 April 2021, (Countryside Code) highlights the risk of illness to people and livestock, and sets out that dog handlers must clean up after the dog.

Guidance and advice for cattle owners on preventative measures has been provided by the National Animal Disease Information Service NADIS - National Animal Disease Information Service.

There will be no changes to the current pet travel health requirements for entry into Great Britain from Northern Ireland or the EU. Dogs will not be required to undergo treatment for the tapeworm Echinococcus Multilocularis before entry into Great Britain if they are travelling from Northern Ireland.

As of 1 January 2021, the UK has Part 2 listed status under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, meaning that people travelling from GB with their pets and assistance dogs will need to follow new requirements in order to travel to the EU and Northern Ireland. These changes include the requirement for dogs moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, be treated against tapeworm 24-120 hours before landing.

However, recognising that these changes will take time to adjust to, the UK Government is working with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on an enforcement approach that takes this challenge into account. This approach will be implemented in a way which supports pet owners and assistance dog users while the Government pursues a permanent solution.

Pet owners are being encouraged to check the latest government advice about travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland or the European Union with their pets at the end of the transition period.

Defra has no immediate plans to amend the tick or tapeworm controls for cats entering the UK. However, the end of the transition period will open up new opportunities for managing our own Pet Travel rules. We remain aware of the concerns around ticks, tick-borne disease and tapeworm. Our future policy will be guided by risk assessments and we have commissioned assessments to understand the risks posed by tapeworms, as well as ticks and tick-borne disease. Defra also continues to monitor the disease situation around ticks through the Tick Surveillance Scheme.

Tick surveillance has shown that tick distribution and abundance is changing throughout the UK for many reasons, including habitat and climate change. Small numbers of localised infestations with non-native tick species have been reported in recent years. For these reasons, Defra strongly encourages pet owners to treat their pets to safeguard their animals against ticks and tick transmitted diseases when travelling abroad. Further advice can be obtained from their local vet, and via the Public Health England leaflet available on GOV.UK.

DFID is not providing any direct funding to help people affected by the jigger flea in Kenya. However, DFID provides central core funding to the World Health Organisation, who help tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases globally.

Development of Kenya’s health sector is a priority for DFID. We are working closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to support their plans on Universal Health Coverage.

The cost of trichinella testing is dependent on the number of pigs slaughtered in any given year. In 2018/19 approximately £565,000 was spent on trichinella testing of which £275,000 was recovered through charges for official controls.

The current requirements for trichinella testing will be maintained when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union and although the Food Standards Agency works in a dynamic environment with costs dependent on many factors, there is no evidence to suggest that expenditure will change significantly over the next five-year period.

The United Kingdom will maintain the requirements of European Union food safety legislation after leaving the EU. This will ensure that food standards applicable to both domestically produced and imported food are maintained and that UK food businesses continue to apply controls that are widely accepted by other countries.

It is not possible to determine an exact figure for trichinella costs going forward as this is dependent on the number of pigs slaughtered in a particular year, however, the UK will maintain the current testing requirements and the costs associated with testing should similarly remain the same.

In financial year 2018/19, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) spent approximately £565,000 on trichinella testing of which £275,000 was recovered through charges for official controls. The FSA will ensure that the resources required to maintain standards and level of testing for trichinella control are available after exit.

The Government is proud of the high food safety and animal welfare standards that underpin our high-quality Great British produce. The UK will maintain its high standards as part of any future free trade agreements.

Regulation 2015/1375 lays down specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat, including the testing of pig carcases, and will be transposed into national law to ensure food safety protection is maintained. This protection will continue after we leave the EU.

DFID supports the global elimination of the nematode infection Lymphatic Filariasis. DFID funding has meant that the population at risk from this disease in the 10 African countries and 2 Asian countries supported has fallen by over 85% since 2013. The aim is to achieve full elimination in these 12 countries by 2025.

DFID is a leading donor in the fight against schistosomiasis which is not only an incredibly debilitating disease, but holds back 200 million people globally from achieving their potential and contributing to the success of their country, not least economically. For this reason we are providing £50 million to deliver over 200 million treatments for schistosomiasis in ten Sub-Saharan African countries (2010-2018). These treatments are delivered by the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative which is based at Imperial College, London. To date nearly 60 million treatments have been distributed.

The programme is also making a significant contribution to developing new knowledge on how to best reach our goal of elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem through operational research and working with partners globally.

The following information on numbers of cases has been provided by the Health Protection Agency (England and Wales), Health Protection Scotland and the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland).

In England and Wales there have been 33 laboratory reports of human liver fluke infestation (Fasciola hepatica) between 1999 and 2011 and in Scotland there have been three reports every year since 2010.

There is no data for Northern Ireland because no information is held on cases of liver fluke by the Public Health Agency.

Laboratory reports are based on serological evidence of infection which does not necessarily indicate current infection and may represent past exposure. Most of the cases reported in Scotland appear to be associated with foreign travel but for England and Wales cases it is not possible to comment on the association with foreign travel, as this information has not been recorded. No information is available to identify whether any of the cases were attributed to the consumption of wild or untreated watercress.

Human infection with liver fluke in the United Kingdom appears to be extremely rare. According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), based on specimens or patients referred to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases where the HPA Parasitology Reference Laboratory is based, there has only been one positive case so far this year. In 2012 there was one confirmed case.

A risk factor for human infection is thought to be consumption of unwashed salad vegetables. Consumers are encouraged to wash vegetables such as salad preparations when they are unwashed. There is also a

small risk associated with gathering and consumption of wild watercress. There is no Food Standards Agency (FSA) consumer advice specifically relating liver fluke.

The following table shows the number of hospital admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of liver fluke in England in 2007-08 to 2011-12. No information is available centrally on any cases which might have been dealt with in hospital out-patient departments or in primary care.

The information requested is in the following table and has been provided by the Health Protection Agency. Cases are not reported by age therefore the breakdown between adults and children as requested is not available.

There have been no reported cases of trichinosis in the United Kingdom in any of the last five years, since 2007.