Zoonoses

(asked on 3rd February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any trend in the number of novel zoonotic diseases that have occurred over the past 30 years; and what steps, if any, they intend to take in response to any such assessment.


This question was answered on 17th February 2021

There are a number of published studies on the emergence of zoonotic diseases (such as Jones et al. (2008) Nature 451: 990-993), and Defra has contributed to the peer review of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report, an expert opinion of the role of biodiversity and pandemic emergence.

Defra works within a ‘One Health’ approach. This means working across a range of disciplines, recognising that people, animals and plants share one environment and are all interconnected.

Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) routinely carries out surveillance on farms for zoonotic pathogens. It has significant surveillance programmes for tuberculosis, avian influenza, salmonella, brucellosis and anti-microbial resistance.

We respond promptly to outbreaks to minimise the impacts of zoonotic disease associated with farming and farmed products.

The Human Animal Infections & Risk Surveillance group is a cross-government technical group who analyse and assess the risks for new and emerging zoonotic diseases.

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