There are 11 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of which 5 are related to veterinary public health: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), … Continue reading
Public health is the science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals (https://www.cdcfoundation.org/what-public-health). There are 17 agencies within the United States Department … Continue reading
STOP! HAVE YOU READ? Cockfighting, Facebook, & Virulent Newcastle Disease Series | Part 2
STOP! HAVE YOU READ? Cockfighting, Facebook, & Virulent Newcastle Disease Series | Part 1
Containing an Outbreak in the Age of Social Media In mid-May 2018, virulent Newcastle disease (vND) was detected in Los Angeles County, California when a sick exhibition chicken was brought to a local veterinary clinic. Newcastle disease is an infectious … Continue reading
TNR: An Acronym for Feline Population Control This article will discuss common phrases associated with TNR programs, the process of performing TNR procedures, and some of the reasons a community may benefit from such programs. Common Terminology Trap-Neuter-Release Trap-Neuter-Return Return-to-Field … Continue reading
When reviewing a scientific paper, or attending a research presentation at a meeting, we often see p-values reported as outcomes of a research project. Although commonly used in life sciences, p-values are often misunderstood, and in some cases, can be … Continue reading
Hypothesis testing is the foundation of research. The process of developing a research hypothesis usually involves two steps: developing the broad research question, then determining the statistical alternatives that may result from testing the research question. For example, a researcher … Continue reading
Misclassification bias Misclassification bias occurs in epidemiologic investigations when the infection or exposure status of individuals is incorrectly measured due to poor diagnostic tests or incorrect assessment of exposure. This results in biased measures of association (e.g. relative risk or … Continue reading
Serial and parallel testing Practitioners are often faced with situations where diagnostic testing schemes that limit the probability of a false negative or a false positive test result are desired. Serial and parallel testing schemes can be used to maximize … Continue reading
Predictive values Diagnostic test performance is measured by sensitivity and specificity. However, neither of these measurements informs the practitioner on the probability of disease in individuals with positive or negative test results. The real question that practitioners face is given … Continue reading
Sensitivity and Specificity Diagnostic tests are performed by veterinarians on a daily basis. These tests may range from physical examinations (i.e. listening to heart and lungs, measuring body temperature, etc.) to measuring antibody levels in blood by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay … Continue reading
Concepts of causation Investigating associations between risk factors (i.e. animal factors, environmental factors, or pathogen factors) and a particular outcome of interest (i.e. the occurrence of respiratory disease in weaned calves) are the core of epidemiologic studies. Although it may … Continue reading
Measuring risk When investigating problems of illness, death, or decreased production in cow-calf herds, a systematic approach to defining the problem, identifying risk factors, developing a plan, measuring impacts, and communicating results can aid the veterinarian and their client in … Continue reading
Defining the problem We’ve all experienced it at one point in time or another. If you own cattle, you’ve undoubtedly had cattle develop illness or die for some unknown reason. If you are a veterinarian, you’ve undoubtedly investigated such cases, … Continue reading
The “Tragedy of the Commons” is a familiar problem to economists. The concept was originally penned in 1833 by economist William Forster Lloyd who felt it was imperative for landowners to understand that the decisions of individuals can harm the … Continue reading
Preparing your community The successful mitigation of any disaster requires action by many, including volunteer and full-time first responders; local, state, and federal government officials; academia; the medical community; and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Unfortunately, many people in non-animal/non-agricultural occupations or … Continue reading
Disaster Preparedness for Livestock It is important to have a disaster plan for livestock since they may not easily be transported or confined. Loose or stranded animals can cause physical harm to people, delay or inhibit the rescue of people, … Continue reading
Pet Identification: Microchipping One of the biggest problems following a natural disaster is reunification. Pets can become startled by the noise and chaos of a storm and run off or be displaced when their home is damaged and no longer … Continue reading
Pet Emergency Kit Resources for both people and animals may be limited following a disaster. Now is the time to prepare and check your pet’s emergency and evacuation kit! Here are a few essential items to include: Copies of vaccinations … Continue reading
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