Brexit or Bremain, ESCCAP UK & Ireland's position remains the same

Despite the UK voting to leave the EU, ESCCAP UK & Ireland still passionately believes in the need for European wide cooperation to control the spread of parasitic disease. Rules associated with the pet passport scheme are only one of a wide number of measures required to reduce the risk of exotic diseases and vectors entering the UK and becoming established. Even if compulsory tick treatments or even quarantine were reintroduced, illegal movement of pets into the country will continue, pets will continue to be imported, people will continue to move in and out of the UK, potentially bringing vectors with them, and novel parasitic disease will move ever closer to our shores. Only by close cooperation with European agencies, drug companies and UK bodies such as PHE and APHA can we possibly hope to monitor these pathogens, reduce their spread and remain vigilant to their introduction to the UK. Such cooperation will also be vital in helping to renegotiate pet movement rules based on sound epidemiological data and risk, rather than snap political judgements. ESCCAP UK & Ireland will continue to maintain close ties with its fellow ESCCAP national organisations across Europe, as well as parasitologists and public health bodies. In doing so we will continue to combat parasitic disease and be an up to date source of information for Vets across the UK and Europe, seeking to keep their clients, pets and the UK as safe as possible from parasitic disease.