Intro Flashcards
What is public health?
The branch of medicine, policy, and administration that protects populations of people from diseases.
What is Veterinary Public Health?
The contribution to the complete physical, mental, and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of veterinary medical science.
What is veterinary public health the intersection of?
Veterinary medicine and public health.
What does veterinary public health help to do?
What is one way it does this?
- It helps to protect populations of people from animal-related diseases.
- Animals health affects, and reflects, human health.
What are 4 examples of sources of diseases of animal origin?
- Zoonotic infectious diseases
- Toxins/infections from animal-origin foods
- Animal-related injuries
- Pests/ectoparasites from animals
How many cases of food-borne diseases are there annually in the US?
Over 70 million.
Where do most food-borne disease agents originate from?
Animals
What are zoonoses?
Diseases with animal reservoirs.
What are some examples of zoonoses?
- Rabies
- Salmonella
- Beef & pork tapeworms
Approximately how many species of pathogens can infect humans?
Over 1400
Zoonoses account for what percentage of pathogen species that can infect humans?
61%
T/F: “Old” diseases are no longer a problem.
False - ex) rabies: approximately 55,000 fatalities/year
Zoonoses account for what percentage of emerging diseases?
75%
What does SARS stand for?
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
When and where was SARS first noted?
Feb 2003 in China
What did SARS originate as?
A bat coronavirus
How did SARS jump to humans?
Jumped to civets in adjacent cages in wild animal markets -> jumped to humans at the market.
How did SARS emerge?
As a pandemic with human to human aerosol spread.
T/F: SARS was slow to spread.
False - spread to over 25 countries w/in a few months
How many cases/deaths were seen with the SARS outbreak?
About 8100 cases & over 700 deaths.
How was the SARS outbreak controlled?
- Aggressive contact tracing
- Isolation
- Quarantine of exposed & infected people
What are 3 other aspects of veterinary public health?
- Biomedical research
- Therapy animals & guide dogs
- Animal diseases that are not zoonotic still have human repercussions
5 ways veterinary public health affects daily clinical practice.
- Keeping yourself and your technicians free from zoonotic diseases & injuries.
- Advising clients about zoonotic diseases & answering their questions.
- USDA accreditation
- Rabies quarantine/exams
- Deciding which treatments/vaccines to use in animals.
Name 4 possible career paths in veterinary public health.
- Federal, state and local government
- Academic institutions
- Private non-profit institutions
- Private business, pharmaceutical companies, laboratories
What is epizootiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants of disease and other health outcomes in animal populations.
What does the prefix “epi” stand for?
What does it mean in reference to epidemiology?
- On, upon
- Above and beyond the normal levels of disease.
What does the prefix “en” mean?
What does it mean in reference to epidemiology?
- In, within
- Within normal limits for disease occurrence.
What does the word root “zoo” mean?
What does it mean in reference to epidemiology?
- Animals
- Refers to disease in animal populations only.
What does the word root “demos” mean?
What does it mean in reference to epidemiology?
- People
- Refers to disease in people, but may be used generally.
