Deadly bugs in trendy raw pet foods 'pose a risk to owners'
- Public Health England warns raw food for pets can make humans seriously ill
- Four cases in England were linked by the same STEC bug found in raw meat
- One unnamed victim died of acute kidney failure
Feeding dogs fashionable raw meat diets puts their owners at risk, say Whitehall scientists.
Giving uncooked meat and offal to pets has grown in popularity due to the belief it is ‘more natural’.
But Public Health England warns, in a report into diseases spread by animals to humans, that raw meats can harbour dangerous bacteria – with fatal results in one case.
Celebrity advocates of raw feeding for pets include Springwatch presenter and poodle owner Chris Packham, who commented on a dog food website: ‘After doing a bit of research I discovered raw feeding and have never looked back.’
But Public Health England warns, in a report into diseases spread by animals to humans, that raw meats can harbour dangerous bacteria – with fatal results in one case
In its latest report, PHE said a food poisoning outbreak in August 2017 left four people seriously ill. One unnamed victim died of acute kidney failure.
The common link between all four cases – in the North East and South East – was contact with dogs.
All four were struck down by the same STEC bug – shiga toxin-producing E coli – and three dogs were fed on raw meat diets containing green tripe, the untreated contents of cows’ stomachs.
PHE said that its report suggested ‘an increasing trend in potential risk to humans from raw pet food’.
And Daniella Dos Santos, of the British Veterinary Association, said: ‘Meat that has not been cooked properly may contain bacteria and/or parasites that can make a dog or cat ill. There is also a public health risk.’
NHS manager who competed as a showjumper while signed off for back pain is ordered to repay more than £8,000 in sick pay
The NHS manager who competed as a showjumper while being signed off for back pain has been ordered to repay more than £8,000 in sick pay.
Elise David, 33, was described by a judge as ‘calculated, deliberate and dishonest’ in making the bogus claims from the NHS.
A jury convicted her of fraud after hearing how she took part in showjumping events while being signed off from her £49,000-a-year job after falling off her horse in June 2016.
Ms David (pictured, left, outside court, and, right, riding a horse after she had returned to work) has denied fraud
David, of Nottage, Porthcawl, even underwent medical examinations ‘only a matter of days’ after taking part, Newport Crown Court heard.
She was given a suspended 12-week jail term and told to do 180 hours of unpaid work.
She must pay £8,216.71 to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and £2,500 in court costs.
Ms David (pictured) was allegedly claiming that her back still hurt while competing in horse-racing events. This image is of her jumping in at an event in 2017, after her sick leave had concluded
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