Emerging Issues Committee Newsletter

Emerging Veterinary & Animal Health Issues

August 2010

CURRENT TOPICS

 Study links evolution with increased risk of rabies infection in bats Live Sciences

 Pet foods can put people at risk for Salmonella Associated Press

Mandatory ID for livestock being discussed by USDA The Billings Gazette

The food of love now (ironically) threatened by herpes in Europe National Geographic

Equine Infectious Anemia found in Missouri Horse Kansas City Infozine

Congressman seeks to make 2011 World Veterinary Year Oregon Live

Gulf oil Spill could still threaten millions of migratory birds National Geographic

Senate to consider food safety bill by end of year ABC News

British pet owners abandon pet insurance over rising premiums The Daily Mail (London)

Humor in Medicine

Wildlife cleaning volunteer stuck with the gulls again The Onion

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

AVMA Student Externship Locator – Trying to find a great veterinary experience while also enjoying some time away from your vet school?  Try out the AVMA externship locator, which lists externships by state and area of interest.

New York Becomes Second State to Propose Bill Banning Tail Docking in Cattle

(This may be a little late on the news front, but still worth knowing)

By: Erin Lashnits

Cornell University, Class of 2012

A bill to prohibit tail docking in cattle was introduced in the New York State Assembly in January. 

     This ban comes on the heals of a recent report by ABC Nightline, in which a video recorded by the animal rights group Mercy for Animals showed tail docking and dehorning, as well as sick and injured cows, excessively dirty living conditions, and improper handling of cattle.  The video was recorded during an undercover investigation of a 5,000 head New York dairy farm.  The segment also included a heavily edited interview with Chris Galen, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) spokesperson, but did not show footage of other farm sources provided to ABC by Dairy Management, Inc.

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Out of the classroom…and back into the classroom

By: Becky Lee

UC Davis, Class of 2012

The summer after my first year of veterinary school, I traveled to Honduras with VetMerge, an organization that provides veterinary services in areas with limited access to veterinary medical care. Along with a small group of veterinary students and two doctors, we traveled to a town with a population of 7,000 called La Villa de San Antonio.

School was out, and I was excited about this trip. It would be a great opportunity to leave behind the lecture hall, abandon the books, and get some “real” clinical experience. We learned that the ranchers relied on their livestock as an important source of income, and we would have a chance to help them. Months before our trip we raised money and gathered supplies. Arriving with our suitcases stuffed full of medical supplies, we were ready to get to work!

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Honduras Trip

By: Kimby Lo

UC Davis, Class of 2012

Last June I embarked on a 10-day trip to Honduras with a missionary organization called VetMerge.  The town of La Villa de San Antonio was small, and definitely a place of great need.  The closest veterinarian lives about 15 miles away in a city called Comayagua.  Although this doesn’t sound too far, it is an unrealistic option for many, and most families can not afford trips to the vet.  The trip was a mix of many animals.  We made numerous ranch calls to deworm and give selenium injections to sheep, goats, and cattle.  A lot of the farmers we met encountered many of the same issues with their livestock, including abortions, retained placentas, decreased milk production, and mastitis.  On one of the last days, we held an educational seminar for them addressing these issues and ways to prevent them. 

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Calf in Sand

By: Alicia Agnew

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Class of 2013

Photograph