Challenges and options for animal and public health services in the next two decades

Trade in livestock and livestock products makes up approximately one sixth of global agriculture trade. This trade is demand driven, primarily by growing human populations, changing economies, and consumer preferences in developing countries. Different rates of population growth, economic growth, urbanisation, environmental sustainability, and technology transfer will determine which countries will reap the greatest benefits. Global trends in demand and supply for food, not terrorism, will drive the future of animal and public health service delivery. To benefit the greatest number of people and countries, animal and public health services should support policies that temper growing disparities among rich and poor countries, city and rural populations, and the sexes. Economic growth is critical to overcoming disparities between countries and best supported by integrated animal health, public health, labour, and foreign policies. Opportunities for job growth will be the greatest along the value added chain of food production and will require significant investments in science- (risk-) based education.

Risk factors for pet evacuation failure after a slow-onset disaster

OBJECTIVE

To determine risk factors for pet evacuation failure during a flood.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SAMPLE POPULATION

203 pet-owning households in a flooded region.

PROCEDURES

Persons under evacuation notice because of a flood were interviewed by use of a random telephone survey.

RESULTS

102 households evacuated with their pets, whereas 101 households evacuated without their pets. Low pet attachment and commitment scores were significantly associated with a greater chance of pet evacuation failure. Risk of pet evacuation failure and lower attachment and commitment scores were also associated with pet management practices prior to the disaster, such as dogs being kept outdoors most of the time or owners not having carriers for their cats. More than 90% of owners made housing arrangements for their pets without assistance.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Predictors of pet evacuation failure are usually present before a disaster strikes and are potentially modifiable. Mitigation of pet evacuation failure should focus on activities that reinforce responsible pet ownership and strengthen the human-animal bond, including socializing dogs, attending dog behavior training classes, transporting cats in nondisaster times, and seeking regular preventive veterinary care. Most pet owners are self-reliant in disasters, and this behavior should be encouraged.

Epidemiologic features of pet evacuation failure in a rapid-onset disaster

OBJECTIVE

To describe epidemiologic features of pet evacuation failure after a hazardous chemical spill in which residents had no warning and only a few hours notice to evacuate.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Pet-owning households that evacuated from a hazardous chemical spill with (n = 119) or without (122) their pets. Procedures-Evacuees were surveyed by mail.

RESULTS

261 of 433 (60.3%) dogs and cats in 241 households were not evacuated. Of the 241 households, 119 (49.4%) evacuated with their pets, 98 (40.7%) evacuated without them but later attempted to rescue them, and 24 (10.0%) neither evacuated their pets nor attempted to rescue them. Pet evacuation failure was most common in households that thought the evacuated area was safe for pets. Risk of pet evacuation failure increased in households with many animals, low pet attachment and commitment scores, and low levels of preparedness. Cat evacuation failure was associated with not having cat carriers. Nearly 80% of households that evacuated with their pets found accommodation with friends and family.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Pet evacuation failure was common and jeopardized pets' health and well-being. Logistical challenges to transporting pets were substantial contributors to pet evacuation failure, whereas not knowing where to house a pet was only a minor concern. Most pet owners seemed self-reliant and acted appropriately towards their pets. Such self-reliant behavior by pet owners should be encouraged prior to disasters as part of an evacuation plan for households.

Human and pet-related risk factors for household evacuation failure during a natural disaster

This study characterized risk factors for household evacuation failure. A random digit dial telephone survey was conducted of 397 households in Yuba County, California, in July 1997, 6 months after residents had been under evacuation notice due to flooding. Case households failed to evacuate, whereas control households evacuated. The cumulative incidence of household evacuation failure was 19.4%. Fewer households with children (25.8%) failed to evacuate than households without children (45.9%, p < 0.01). More households with pets (20.9%) than households without pets failed to evacuate (16.3%, p = 0.11). With multivariate logistic regression, the risk of household evacuation failure was lower in households with children (odds ratio = 0.4, 95% confidence interval: 0.2, 0.8) compared with households without children. The risk of household evacuation failure increased in pet-owning households without children (odds ratio = 1.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 1.5) compared with pet-owning households with children; the more pets a household owned, the higher the risk of household evacuation failure was. Impediments to pet evacuation, including owning multiple pets, owning outdoor dogs, or not having a cat carrier, explained why many households that owned pets failed to evacuate. Predisaster planning should place a high priority on facilitating pet evacuation through predisaster education of pet owners and emergency management personnel.

Emergency management of disasters involving livestock in developing countries

Different disasters have similar consequence on the health and welfare of livestock. Numerous geophysical disasters can exacerbate epizootics, resulting in the deaths of many animals and the reduction of production efficiency. These disasters also present a considerable threat of spoilage of processed foods, endangering public health. Furthermore, large-scale disasters involving animals can modify the long-term stability of national economies, the environment and social structures. The authors discuss the vulnerability of the livestock industry to natural disasters and the impact of floods, droughts and transboundary diseases and pests on national economies. Examples are given on how some losses can be avoided, evaluated and compensated. The role of the veterinarian is presented in relation to work conducted by other relief organisations in cases of emergency. In developing countries, mitigation programmes should focus on strengthening global animal health services. Preparedness needs to be community based, with education provided in a timely manner. Effective recovery from disasters should be based on mitigation programmes, including international trade and mutual aid agreements between neighbouring countries to supply appropriate goods and environmentally and culturally appropriate breeds of livestock. Disaster relief for the care of livestock should be recognised as a form of humanitarian assistance, given the benefits to be derived for public health and the socio-economic implications of successful intervention.

Risk factors, prevention and prophylaxis of dog bites for disaster response personnel in the United States

It commonly is rumored that in large scale disasters, packs of dogs present a human health hazard because of dog bites. However, it is likely that factors other than pack behavior comprise greater risk factors for dog bites in disaster-response personnel. Important risk factors include: 1) the density of the human population, which in turn, determines the number of dogs at a disaster site; 2) territorial behavior of dogs at their site of residence, which determines the frequency with which dogs may bite; and 3) whether rabies is present at endemic or epidemic levels within the area in which the disaster is occurring, which determines the likelihood of fatal outcomes. Persons bitten by a dog should seek medical attention as contraction of rabies may result in a fatal outcome from a dog bite. It is recommended that disaster response personnel obtain pre-exposure vaccination against rabies. Vaccinated or not, they immediately should seek post-exposure treatment for rabies following potential exposure.

Epidemiologic study of cats and dogs affected by the 1991 Oakland fire

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors of pets affected by the 1991 Oakland, Calif fire for being lost, found, adopted, or reunited with owners.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

ANIMALS

1,075 cats and 197 dogs affected by the fire and 221 cats and 128 dogs not affected by the fire.

PROCEDURES

Records compiled from 1991 to 1995 by the Oakland Firestorm Pet Hotline were analyzed.

RESULTS

Peak activity for the hotline was on days 3 and 4 after the fire, but decreased to a low, steady rate by day 21. Many pets were found that had been abandoned or were part of a large free-roaming population that existed at the time of the fire. Many were missing after the fire and presumed killed. The longer owners delayed looking for their pet, the lower the chance of being reunited. Pets wearing collars with the owners' names and addresses had a more than 10-fold chance of being reunited, compared with pets without collars. Increasing odds for adoption of lost pets was associated with their proximity to the fire.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Hotlines set up after sudden impact disasters, such as the Oakland Firestorm Pet Hotline, will probably register primarily abandoned animals. Reunion of pets with their owners appears to be most likely for those that receive an overall better level of care than pets found at other times. Adoption of pets after this disaster was primarily by the person who found that animal and principally resulted when the pet was found close to the disaster area.

Human health concerns from pet ownership after a tornado

INTRODUCTION

Although 50% to 60% of North American households own pets and many of these pets are considered family members, there is little information on the impact of pet ownership on pet-owning families affected by disasters.

METHODS

This case report describes some of the effects of a tornado on 17 families whose dwellings were destroyed. The setting was a typical urban trailer park.

RESULTS

After a tornado at the Sagamore Village Trailer Park in north central Indiana, 104 families were evacuated. Seventeen (16.3%) of these families owned pets. For 14 families (13.5%), pet ownership had an important impact on the families' recovery from the tornado. Public- and mental-health concerns that arose from pet ownership included failure to evacuate a dangerous site, attempts to re-enter a dangerous site, separation anxiety leading to psychosomatic disturbances, and the need for additional animal care.

CONCLUSIONS

In urban disasters, the behaviors of families with a human-animal bond are likely to pose a significant risk to their own and others' health and safety in urban disasters. In this small study of families affected by a tornado, the most prominent public-health concerns were failure to evacuate because of a pet and attempts of re-entry to save a pet; the most common mental-health concerns resulted from separation anxiety from a pet and refusal to accept medical treatment until a pet's well-being can be assured. These are thought to be typical issues that will arise out of the human-animal bond in urban disaster situations and differ considerably from traditional public-health concerns over dog bites, spread of zoonotic diseases, and human food contamination. Medical disaster preparedness planning should consider the substantial effects that the human-animal bond is likely to have on human recovery from large-scale urban disasters.

Disseminated histoplasmosis in a horse

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Ependymoma of the neurohypophysis and hypernatremia in a horse

A 2-year-old Standardbred gelding was examined because of prolapse of the third eyelid; myoclonus of the muscles of the head, neck, and forelimbs; and persistent tail swishing. The horse had a high plasma sodium concentration but was not drinking water. The hypernatremia could not be corrected by means of IV administration of fluids, and the horse became worse and, 6 days later, died. At necropsy, a tumor was found to be compressing the neurohypophysis and the area in the brain in which the thirst centers are believed to be located. It is believed that hypernatremia in this horse was a result of altered thirst.

Unusual patterns of serum antibodies to Streptococcus equi in two horses with purpura hemorrhagica

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for use in horses to determine serum titers of antibodies of the immunoglobulin classes IgA, IgG, and IgM to Streptococcus equi M-like protein and culture supernatant protein antigens. Serum antibodies were determined in 28 adult horses, including 9 horses with recent S. equi infections, 17 horses without known exposure to S. equi, but without a history of respiratory disease in the preceding 4 months, and 2 horses with clinical purpura hemorrhagica. Serum IgA titers to culture supernatant protein antigen were highest in recently infected horses (P less than 0.001). Serial determinations of antibody titers in the horses with purpura showed that IgG antibodies to both S. equi M-like protein and culture supernatant protein antigens were undetectable initially, but later rose coincidental with clinical recovery from the disease. Possible mechanisms for these findings are discussed.

Idiopathic granulomatous disease involving the skin in a horse

Clinical signs of generalized granulomatous disease in a horse included depression, generalized lymphadenopathy, scaly skin, and dependent edema. Diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically by diffuse granulomas in more than one organ system (lymph nodes and skin), and by ruling out etiologic agents. Response to treatment with corticosteroids was favorable. The clinical features and response to treatment in this horse were different from classic textbook descriptions of equine generalized granulomatous disease. Equine granulomatous disease appears to be comparable to human sarcoidosis. To avoid confusion between human medical and veterinary medical terminology, the authors suggest that the equine disease be referred to as equine idiopathic granulomatous disease and that a complete diagnostic description should include a reference to the organ systems involved.

Feedtrough dirt as a source of Clostridium botulinum type C intoxication in a group of farm horses

Four horses from the same farm developed clinical signs of botulism during the winter months; three of these horses died. One horse survived an initial attack and recovered over a three-week period, but died during a second attack. The horse that survived took six weeks to recover. Clinical and postmortem examination ruled out other causes of disease. Confirmation of the diagnosis was made by isolation of Clostridium botulinum type C toxin from the dirt in the bottom of an oak feedtrough used by all horses, and from the colonic contents of one of the horses that died. To our knowledge, this is the second case of C. botulinum type C intoxication reported in horses in North America. In both cases, soil and sand near aquatic environments were identified as the source of toxin.

The effects of feeding milk to diarrheic calves supplemented with oral electrolytes

The effects of feeding different levels of milk to diarrheic calves (n = 19) supplemented with oral electrolytes were investigated. In the early stages of the disease the calves were fed either enough milk to maintain normal growth in a healthy calf, one half that volume or no milk. The three groups were further subdivided according to whether or not the electrolyte solution contained bicarbonate. A full milk ration allowed uninterrupted weight gains of 1% body weight/day (p = 0.003), but caused greater inappetence (p = 0.003 to 0.037) at the beginning of the trial than lower levels of milk intake. Electrolyte solutions with bicarbonate reduced growth rates in milk fed calves (p = 0.014). The density of fat stores increased with the level of milk feeding (p = 0.04 to 0.053). The mitotic index of the duodenal mucosa increased with milk feeding (p = 0.08), indicating a superior mucosal regeneration potential. Thymic atrophy was pronounced in those calves fed no milk (p = 0.001). It was concluded that the continued feeding of milk to diarrheic calves was beneficial. Electrolyte solutions containing bicarbonate should be avoided when milk is fed to diarrheic calves.