COVID-19: Tips for protecting you and your staffMarch 9, 2020As novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to affect people around the world, many are wondering what can be done to protect themselves and others.
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Drug, medical supply shortages due to COVID-19 may disrupt veterinary careMarch 5, 2020The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is actively monitoring developments on COVID-19 as it relates to animals and sharing what it learns on its website.
Dog in Hong Kong tests "weak positive" for COVID-19March 2, 2020A dog belonging to an individual in Hong Kong infected with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been quarantined after samples taken from the animal’s nasal cavity and mouth tested “weak positive” for the virus.
Pig ear salmonellosis outbreak comes to a closeNovember 11, 2019Pig ear treats have officially been cleared for canine consumption, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says.
Human Salmonella cases linked to pig ears climb to 143August 30, 2019Cases of salmonellosis in humans connected to contact with pig ear treats continue to rise and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising pet owners to take precautions to avoid illness.
Education and awareness are key to preventing dog bitesApril 9, 2019Parents learning canine behavioral cues and teaching them to their children to avoid injuries is one of the ways to prevent dog bites. That's according to Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA), which released several recommendations for parents and veterinarians to help keep children safe. The advice comes during National Dog Bite Prevention week, which runs from April 7 to 13. Parents should also be aware of a dog lifting its lip, panting or yawning inappropriately, cowering, holding its breath, flattening its ears to its head, growling, or snapping. "Many dogs will give a warning or several warnings they are uncomfortable, and a person needs to back off," says Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP, a past TVMA president who is a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. "People often miss these signs and think a dog bite occurred out of the blue." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 4.7 million dog bites are reported every year. Seventeen percent of them require medical care—half of the victims are children. According to TVMA, it is important to teach children not to approach unknown dogs, but it also warns many dog bites occur when interacting …
PIJAC releases resource to combat antimicrobial resistance health risksMarch 25, 2019The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has released a set of recommendations for antibiotic management and combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in companion animals. The resource includes a set of principles for all sectors of the pet care community with an emphasis on those involved with breeding, rearing, transport, and the sale of companion animals, as well as those who work with products where antibiotics regularly intersect with animals. The principles provide advice and best management practices on matters such as the use of antibiotics, sanitation, hygiene, veterinary oversight, and zoonotic disease prevention. "PIJAC is proud to have served as the pet industry's liaison on public health issues and zoonotic disease prevention for over a decade through our memorandum of understanding with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," says PIJAC president and CEO, Mike Bober. "These recommendations are another demonstration of PIJAC and the pet care community's commitment to promoting the health and well-being of animals and humans alike." The CDC estimates two million people are infected with resistant strains of bacteria and 23,000 deaths result from antibiotic resistance in the U.S. annually. Campylobacter and Salmonella are two common bacteria types, which have resistant strains and are …
CDC report finds vector-borne diseases on the riseMay 10, 2018According to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been significant increase in instances of vector-borne diseases across the U.S., with reported cases of diseases transmitted through the bites of blood-feeding ticks, mosquitos, and fleas nearly tripling nation-wide over a 13-year span. Ronald Rosenberg, Sc.D., from CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues analyzed data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System pertaining to 16 vector-borne diseases from 2004 to 2016. The findings were tabulated by disease, vector type, location, and year. During this period, a total of 642,602 cases of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas were reported to CDC. The report indicates cases of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan diseases more than doubled during this period, jumping from approximately 22,000 in 2004 to more than 48,000 reported cases in 2016, with Lyme disease accounting for 82 percent of cumulative reported tick-borne disease. Additionally, the combined incidence of reported anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, which are tick-borne bacterial diseases, rose almost every year, as did spotted fever. Babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic infection …
