Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to inform the public of the risk of contracting diseases from household pets.

Infections that can be passed from animals to people are known as zoonoses. However transmission of zoonotic infections from domestic pets to humans is rare and the risk of contracting diseases from domestic pets is low, even in groups with increased susceptibility to infection such as immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Risks can be reduced further by adopting simple measures such as good hygiene practices, and for pregnant women avoiding contact with cat litter trays. General information on zoonotic infections acquired from pets and advice on reducing the risk is provided on the NHS Choices website:

www.nhs.uk/livewell/allergies/pages/pet-hygiene.aspx

Public Health England (PHE) is the agency which monitors zoonotic infections in people. PHE assesses the risk of zoonoses, identifies groups where there may be increased risk and produces appropriate advice and information on specific zoonoses. This is available to the public and is accessible through the PHE website:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/zoonotic-diseases-zoonoses-guidance-data-and-analysis