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"good golly miss Molly" <oldmollyREMOVETHIS@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:dYSpc.282$JL5.222@newsfe1-win...
>
> "Fenris Wolf" <Fenris@reality8.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:kqbqXXAnaypAFwUH@reality8.demon.co.uk...
> > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/16/npet16.x
> > ml&amp;sSheet=/news/2004/05/16/ixhome.html
> >
> >
> > Pet passports lead to surge in dogs dying from foreign diseases
> > By David Harrison and Rosie Dunn
> > (Filed: 16/05/2004)
> >
> > A growing number of British pets are catching deadly diseases on foreign
> > holidays as more animals travel with their owners on the "pets'
> > passports" scheme introduced four years ago.
> >
> > The School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool said that reported cases of
> > some animal diseases picked up on holiday had doubled since 2002.
> >
> > Last year 37 pet dogs - almost half of the 84 tested at the school -
> > were found to have leishmaniasis, an incurable disease passed on by
> > sandflies in Mediterranean countries.
> >
> > The figure is more than double the 17 dogs that caught the disease on
> > holidays in 2002. Symptoms include weight loss, eye disease and kidney
> > failure.
> >
> > Other diseases that have shown increases of about 100 per cent include
> > babesiosis and ehrlichiosis - blood diseases spread by ticks - and
> > heartworm, a parasite passed on by mosquitoes.
> >
> > Brian and Jean Coleman, from Tyneside, were shocked and heartbroken when
> > Hamie, their much-loved West Highland White terrier, died after
> > contracting babesiosis when they were on holiday recently in south-west
> > France.
> >
> > "He was only 16 months old and had brought so much joy into our lives,"
> > said Mr Coleman, 55, a retired teacher.
> >
> > Hamie was "perfectly fit and healthy" last month when the Colemans left
> > to spend the Easter holidays at their cottage in the Dordogne.
> >
> > The dog became seriously ill, however, shortly after the family returned
> > home to South Shields and, after developing distressing symptoms, was
> > taken to a vet and put on a respirator.
> >
> > "We knew Hamie couldn't go on like that and that we had to tell the vet
> > to stop the respirator," Mr Coleman said.
> >
> > "It was awful. I never thought we would lose our little friend in such a
> > terrible way. We were shattered by his death."
> >
> > Vets estimate that about 300 dogs nationally were known to have caught
> > diseases abroad last year. They fear that many more cases go undiagnosed
> > or unreported.
> >
> > As millions of Britons prepare to fly abroad for their summer holidays,
> > Dr Jackie Barber - a veterinary parasitologist - warned pet owners that
> > they should be aware of the risks.
> >
> > "It is heartbreaking for owners when their pets catch these diseases
> > and, in many cases, die. People must realise that it is a very real
> > threat."
> >
> > Babesiosis, which has claimed the lives of at least two dogs since the
> > Easter holidays, can kill pets within days, while other diseases have
> > incubation periods of months or years.
> >
> > Dr Susan Shaw, a senior lecturer in veterinary science at Bristol
> > university, said: "Animals have no immunity to the infections and there
> > are no vaccinations. It is crucial that pet owners use preventative
> > measures, such as repellents to stop the insects biting and spreading
> > the disease."
> >
> > The situation is made worse by the fact that many British vets are
> > unfamiliar with the diseases. Most vets refer the pets to tropical
> > medicine schools, sending blood samples for analysis.
> >
> > Doctors fear that the diseases could be passed on to other animals back
> > in Britain - and possibly to humans, although there is no evidence that
> > this has happened.
> >
> > Most of the exotic diseases are picked up on beaches and in woods and
> > gardens in Mediterranean countries including France, Spain, Italy and
> > Greece.
> >
> > Dr Barber said: "We don't associate Europe with tropical diseases in
> > humans, but for animals it is as if they were travelling to somewhere
> > like Africa."
> >
> > The School of Tropical Medicine, which mainly treats human diseases but
> > works closely with Liverpool University's veterinary department, has set
> > up a diagnostic scheme, Testapet, to help vets to detect the exotic
> > diseases.
> >
> > The Government's passport for pets scheme was set up in 2000 to allow
> > animals to travel to Europe when their owners went on holiday. The
> > scheme has been extended to cover North America and up to 150,000 pets
> > are expected to travel abroad this year.
> >
> > Sandy Trees, a professor of veterinary parasitology at Liverpool
> > University, said that owners should ask themselves whether they really
> > needed to take their pets abroad.
> >
> > A spokesman for the British Small Animals Veterinary Association said:
> > "It is vital that pets are checked as soon as they come back to Britain
> > if they show any signs of sickness."
> >
> > British dogs are particularly susceptible to babesiosis because, having
> > never encountered the disease, they have no resistance to it and can die
> > within days of the symptoms appearing.
> >
> > "I'd never heard of it and I was shocked when I did some research into
> > it," Mr Coleman said. "If we had known about this we would never have
> > taken Hamie to France.
> >
> > "I hope our terrible experience can serve as a warning to other pet
> > owners: if you are thinking of taking your dog abroad, don't."
> >
>  This is simply scare mongering IMO. There is no clue as to what
percentage
> the numbers represent.
>
>
How can  you be so sure that it is.?
If people can come home ill from going abroad.
Then why cant animals.
I have know a few people come home with illnesses that last quite a while.
Plus lots of treatment.
Heartworm is very real in warmer countries.
Pat.