World Organisation for Animal Health Members' Capacity to Deal With Animal Welfare Emergencies During Natural Disasters in Europe.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about individual European countries or regional capacity to respond to animal welfare emergencies during natural disasters; therefore, it is important to establish baseline information (eg, types of disasters, training) to enable more focused and data-driven actionable support for future disasters. METHODS: A 55-question survey was distributed by an email link to the 53 World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) European Region Members plus 1 observer country. RESULTS: Forty-nine countries (91%, n = 54) responded to the survey. Fifty-one percent (25/49) indicated they incorporated animal welfare into their national disaster regulatory framework, whereas 59% (29/49) indicated animal welfare was incorporated in the Veterinary Service National Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Plan. Thirty-nine percent (19/49) indicated they had "no" or "limited" legal authority to manage animal emergencies in natural disasters. Floods, forest fires, and snowstorm/extreme cold were the 3 most commonly reported disasters over the last 10 years with 79% (27/34) reporting Veterinary Services was involved in managing these disasters. CONCLUSION: The survey results indicated a wide range in the capacity of WOAH European Member Countries to respond to animal welfare in natural disasters, highlighting the gaps and potential areas of improvement in this arena.

Effect of Different Instructional Methods on Contamination and Personal Protective Equipment Protocol Adherence among Veterinary Students.

Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial to prevent disease spread. Recent studies in human medicine have shown disconcerting inconsistencies in the use of PPE in hospital wards. In this study, we compared the effect of three instructional methods for PPE use on contamination and protocol adherence among veterinary students. Students were divided into three groups according to the instructional method to which they had access (instructional video, wall chart, or both). They underwent an isolation exercise consisting of donning, patient examination (mock patient prepared with contamination marker), and doffing. Student contamination after the exercise was evaluated using UV light. Videos of student performance were reviewed for errors committed. Results showed that the number of students with contamination was higher in the group who only had access to video instruction than in the two other groups. The number of students with contamination on forearms, hands, and wrists was higher in the group who only had access to charts. Disinfecting gloves between doffing steps was the most frequently omitted step. The number of students who touched the environment with unprotected areas of their bodies was higher in the group who only had access to video instruction than in the other two groups. In conclusion, video instruction was less effective in achieving PPE protocol adherence among veterinary students than was instruction with a chart or chart-video combination. Incorporating video instruction as part of the instructions may be valuable to reinforce individual steps of donning and doffing.

Emerging roles of the US Army Veterinary Service.

When leaving office, Tommy Thompson, the former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, indicated that the 2 things that concerned him most were avian influenza and the safety of the United States food supply: "I, for the life of me, I do not know why the terrorists have not, you know, attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do." These are DoD and national concerns and are a direct focus of the US Army Veterinary Service as part of its emerging roles and responsibilities. While continuing its core missions of food safety, animal medicine, and research and development in support of the DoD, the US Army Veterinary Service must be able to meet its responsibilities in the new emerging arenas. In order to meet these requirements, additional resources in the form of authorizations, training, equipment, and funding will be required. In addition, innovative partnerships and collaboration within the AMEDD, DoD, and interagency partners will be critical.

The global veterinarian: the why? The what? The how?

Globalization has created an entirely new landscape for veterinarians. Opportunities abound to meet the formidable challenges presented as animals, people, and microbes travel at a previously unimagined speed, fueled by the engine of commerce, resulting in a plethora of new diseases, issues, and partnerships. Re-tooling our profession to ensure that we can continue to fulfill our veterinary oath in the face of these changes will require both short- and long-term changes. It is essential that a single overarching, non-affiliated organization be formed to tie together all entities, providing the structure to create needed synergy to enhance our currently fragmented professional responses and to solicit funds to effect necessary changes.

The US Army Veterinary Corps: a model for professional career development with a public health and global perspective.

The US Army Veterinary Corps is composed of approximately 420 active-duty and 200 reserve-component veterinary officers, with 40 to 45 new veterinarians joining the active ranks each year. This article briefly summarizes the training that members of the veterinary corps receive in preparation for their diverse range of duties in service to the United States.