Home > Veterinary Public Health Module

Veterinary Public Health is the sum of all contributions to the physical, mental and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of veterinary science1. This discipline covers a vast array of concerns linking animal and human health, and is primarily concerned with reducing exposure to hazards brought about by interactions with animals, animal products and animal habitats. This discipline includes zoonoses, food-borne illnesses, toxicities, injuries and hazards related to the use of veterinary drugs and chemicals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant public health issue of both human and veterinary concern, and AMR fostered by drug use in animals can certainly impact human health. In order to mitigate the emergence and spread of AMR, trained physicians and veterinarians exercise their professional responsibility to preserve antibiotic efficacy by assuring that antimicrobial products are not used indiscriminately. This particular learning module will highlight the veterinarians’ indispensable local and global roles in mitigating the increasing prevalence of AMR in bacteria that infect both humans and animals.