Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Disease outbreak investigation in food animal practice.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Waldner, Cheryl L & Campbell, John R
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences · Canada
Plain-English summary
Veterinarians who work with food animals need strong observation skills and knowledge of how diseases spread to effectively investigate outbreaks. They often face situations where they must figure out what caused a disease to spread among animals and how to prevent it from happening again. This article discusses important questions veterinarians should ask and outlines a methodical way to find the source of the outbreak and reduce losses. Additionally, these investigations help veterinarians demonstrate the benefits of having a health program for the herd and the importance of keeping good records. Overall, the article emphasizes the critical role veterinarians play in managing animal health during disease outbreaks.
Abstract
In addition to excellent observation skills and a good understanding of production medicine, veterinarians require the tools of epidemiology for the successful investigation of disease outbreaks. Food supply veterinary practitioners are often called upon to investigate various types of disease outbreaks. In this article, the authors outline the primary questions a practitioner should address and summarize a systematic approach to determining the causes of an outbreak and minimizing further losses. The investigation of disease outbreaks provides an opportunity for the herd veterinarian to show clients the advantages of a herd health program and the value of a good record-keeping system.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16517297/