Converging Issues in Veterinary and Public Health

More than 20 key officials from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges met with staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) December 5–6, 2002, to discuss the increasing convergence of issues confronting human and animal health. Among the officials in attendance were the deans from more than half of all U.S. veterinary schools. The meeting goals were to increase the veterinary community's understanding of CDC programs and the varied roles played by veterinarians throughout the agency; to provide CDC officials an opportunity to gain insight into current issues in veterinary medicine as well as the public health perspectives of veterinary leaders; and to provide a forum for discussions on ways to increase partnerships between the human and veterinary medical communities to meet critical public health needs. Presentations were made Office. Many of these speakers are CDC veterinarians, who described their paths from veterinary training to public health. The daily interactions of humans, animals , and the environment have a dramatic impact on public health. Current and evolving health threats include infections transmitted through animals, insects, food, and water, as well as illnesses resulting from environmental tox-ins, the misuse of antibiotics, and bioter-rorism. Factors affecting these threats include the international movement of people, animals, and animal products; globalization and management of the complex food and fiber system; climate and other environmental changes, including those affecting wildlife populations and their interactions; and national and global security. Effectively meeting these challenges requires strong links between human and animal health clini-cians, researchers, laboratorians, and public health officials. Specific topics presented included West Nile virus and other vectorborne diseases, emerging viral and parasitic zoonoses, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, CDC's role in the 2001 anthrax investigations, and the agency's bioterrorism preparedness and response program. Presentations highlighted public health issues such as the need to upgrade containment facilities and to define optimal antibiotic use for farm animals. Efforts needed to further protect the health of humans, companion animals , zoo and exotic animals, and wildlife were also discussed. These efforts include improving strategies to reduce the occurrence of intestinal parasites in pets and increasing surveillance among imported animals and products to recognize infections not previously seen in the United States. Several presenters emphasized the importance of surveillance systems in enabling prompt recognition of disease occurrences. Examples included two food safety surveillance programs: FoodNet, a collaborative project involving …