Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday that the risk of the disease being transmitted from cats to people was very low. However, putting down cats confirmed to have TB was the most sensible course of action because people having close contact with them faced a potentially significant risk of infection, it said.
Two people were found to have developed active TB after close contact with cats last year following an outbreak involving nine animals in west Berkshire and Hampshire. They are said to be responding to treatment. Two other people were found to have latent TB, meaning they had been exposed to the disease at some point but it was not active.
The risk of the spread of TB from cats to humans had previously been regarded by UK advisers as negligible despite the potential for transmission being recognised after years of serious outbreaks in cattle, which have led to controversial badger culls.
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