Timeline and Impact

July 2004

Jill’s beloved dog Bella had cruciate ligament surgery on her knee and developed MRSA. Three months after Bella’s death (in August 2004) Jill Moss, her owner, developed the same strain of MRSA through a cut in the foot whilst nursing Bella. (see story)

2005

Jill set up www.pets-mrsa.com to inform pet owners of the risks of resistant infections to them and their pets and the website attracted a lot of media attention. Claire Rayner at the time a was driving clean hospital summit campaign and became the patron.

2006 - 2009

Jill appeared on radio, television, and in newspapers telling her story about Bella. Jill attended pet shows and veterinary conferences around the UK presenting education for pet owners and vet nurses on how to prevent the spread of diseases between humans and animals by instituting better infection control and hand hygiene.

2006 - 2009

Jill was accepted as the only lay member of DEFRA’s (Department of Food and Rural Affairs) committee on MRSA in animals. As a result, these contacts DEFRA funded the 1st International conference on MRSA in animals at Liverpool University which was hosted by Bella Moss Foundation.

The conference was aimed at veterinary professionals and scientists and ground-breaking research was presented on how to avoid the spread of diseases between humans and animals. Subsequent conferences followed in 2007 and 2008.

June 2007

This was the beginning of The Bella Moss Foundation which was registered as a charity with objects to collaborate with educational partners on information for the veterinary professional and public on keeping people and pets safe from infections, and responsible use of antibiotics. National campaigns like antibiotic awareness week perpetuated the message of the safe use of antibiotics.

September 2009

Bella Moss Foundation co-hosted with the American Society of Microbiology the Second international conference on MRSA in animals held at Connaught Rooms in London. The conference addressed promoting the awareness of MRSA in veterinary practice. That same year BMF also exhibited at animal shows and veterinary conferences throughout UK.

International scientific conferences for veterinary staff scientific programmes took place annually.

 

2009

Bella Moss Foundation expanded educational resources to the veterinary profession through online Continuing Professional Development courses and development of infection control guidelines that could be used in veterinary practices throughout the UK. They were recommended by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ practice standards scheme as a good resource for infection control.

2009

This was the year Bella Moss Foundation became a global force in infection control.

International collaborations with the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and Federation of Veterinarians in Europe (FVE) provided information on infection control for vets, and pet owners through poster campaigns throughout Europe.

Partnerships and collaborations sent messages out quickly to a global audience and the topic of keeping people and pets free from infections was now being shared through social media platforms. Bella Moss Foundation invited experts to give up their time freely to help spread the messages. Social media followers grew to thousands.

This increased awareness of the work of Bella Moss Foundation led to the charity being invited to tour the USA in 2010. Amongst some of the venues visited were the New York Animal Medical centre, Cornell University (NY) and Tampa Hospital Florida for infectious diseases.

BMF presented case studies of pets and owners whom we had helped over the years, and scientific findings of conferences to a USA audience of veterinary and medical professionals

2011

Bella Moss Foundation developed top ten tips for pet owners on keeping pets safe and healthy.

 

In the same year, FVE joined forces with Bella Moss Foundation collaborating on education for veterinarians across 40 countries in Europe and for pet owners of responsible use of antibiotics in pet health.

Continuing the European collaborations in 2012 Bella Moss Foundation began a series in international talks addressing veterinary practices throughout Europe and presenting scientific information on antimicrobial resistance.

The global success of Bella Moss Foundation led to a board of clinical advisors being set up, made of international experts who give up their time freely to help the charity. Link to advisors

Antimicrobial resistance, superbugs, MRSA all began to become part of a one health platform which meant Bella Moss Foundation was now entering the realm of human health as well as animal health. On 13 October 2014, the Royal Society of Medicine Epidemiology and Comparative Medicine Sections collaborated with Bella Moss Foundation at the Royal Society of Medicine presented the first major ‘One Health’ conference in London, bringing together experts on infectious disease from both the medical and veterinary sectors. The conference titled ‘One Health – Making a Powerful Concept Work for Infectious Disease,’ featured speakers and discussion panels, including Professor Peter Borriello, Chief Executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and Professor Anthony Kessel, Director of Public Health England, discussing issues such as infection control; antimicrobial resistance and the threats posed by emerging zoonotic diseases. The audience included policy makers and clinicians together with researchers and academics from both human and veterinary medicine.

Jill Moss, President of the Bella Moss Foundation, explained: “Antimicrobial resistance and updated protocols hitting the headlines regularly, our speakers will discuss the key issues. For instance, what exactly is the status of antimicrobial resistance? How is it affecting our lives? What are the veterinary, medical and research professions doing to resolve the challenges we face – and how can they persuade policy makers to take a united stand on the issue?”

The One Health Conference was supported by: - British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), the British Veterinary Association (BVA), Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA), RCVS Knowledge, the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA), the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), the Department of Health and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

Hand hygiene is an important part of keeping pets and animals safe and way before the Covid pandemic Bella Moss Foundation was educating the public that clean hands prevent the spread of disease between people and pets.

2014

Bella Moss Foundation had regular stands at British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) and Crufts.

2015

Antimicrobial stewardship became recognized as a problem through the world and antibiotic awareness week campaigns ran annually.  The aim was to minimise the impact of antimicrobial use in people and animals while not forfeiting the likelihood of therapeutic success. Bella Moss Foundation teamed up with NOAH and VMD and Public Health England to target the public to think about safe use of antibiotics.  The Beat the bugs film was launched at the House of Lords as an educational video on responsible use of antibiotics (link)

The safe use of antibiotics expanded the remit of Bella Moss to farm animals and biosecurity and the charity spoke at several conferences on biosecurity.

2016

Bella Moss Foundation launched a self-audit hygiene app for veterinary practices practices alongside infection control guidelines which were endorsed by the veterinary profession. Vets and nurses used these protocols to improve infection control and audit hygiene in their practice to promote the best practice approach to their clients.

The world has changed and now more than ever we are faced with hand hygiene issues daily and the message of Bella Moss Foundation is more pertinent than it ever has been.

2021

Bella Moss Foundation has launched a new website and continues to educate the veterinary profession and public on keeping people and pets safe from diseases by practising hand hygiene and infection control in clinical practices and in the home.

In 2021 Bella Moss Foundation will be procuring a series of visual educational information and will be committed to making the world a safer place for people and pets in a world where we all need to take part in being responsible for our own personal hygiene.