Scots scientist call out for poo donations from pet owners for brand new study
DOO-DOO DATA Scots scientist call out for poo donations from pet owners for brand new study
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SCIENTISTS want to kick up a stink - by asking pet owners to donate poo for a special study.
Experts at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) need cats and dogs to make a mess so they can cut the risk of passing on infections to humans.
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Boffins at the SRUC are appealing for donations of pet poo for a special study
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There's certain strains of bacteria that are harmless to animals but can dump all sorts of problems onto people because the illnesses are resistant to antibiotics.
Now thousands of pet owners will take part in a four-year project by submitting faecal samples from their animals to generate the first ever doo-doo data to protect public health.
Professor John Berezowski, of SRUC's Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre in Inverness, said: 'This initiative is critical for a better understanding of the transmission and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in our pets.
'Our experts have worked hard to develop a practical AMR surveillance system.
'We plan to follow a team approach, working with pet owners and their vets as we explore how best to collect samples for surveillance throughout the UK.'
Abi Seager, chief executive officer of the UK Government's Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), who commissioned the study, added: 'Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious global health threats that we face.
'I am proud to launch this ground-breaking AMR surveillance project in healthy cats and dogs with SRUC, who have a proven track-record of establishing surveillance programmes from the ground-up, and this new study is a truly One Health intervention to tackle AMR.
'A recent report published by the Public Accounts Committee on AMR, highlighted the need to address surveillance gaps in animals and we are pleased the VMD is already driving progress in this area.'
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