“VET” MUST HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN ILLS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 81, 11 August 1950, Page 3

“VET” MUST HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN ILLS

Most people—even those to whom the “vet” is a familiar figure on the farm or, in a few countries, at the clinic where they may take the family pet if it falls ill—have an idea that veterinary medicine is concerned entirely with curing or preventing sickness in animals. This impression is incorrect. There are over 75 diseases of animals transmissible to man, and the modern veterinarian is fully conscious of this potential danger to human health.

He therefore shares with the pub-lic-health specialist a growing interest in these diseases which are common to man and his flocks.

Meat Important The most important among this group of diseases are bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, rabies, and various kinds of food poisoning.

The germs of bovine tuberculosis infect man from cattle primarily through milk and milk products which have not been heated sufficiently before being eaten. Sometimes these germs are also spread through the air and by direct contact. Brucellosis is a disease which often causes abortion in infected cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. Also called undulant, or “Malta” fever ir. man, this disease infects human beings by the same means as bovine tuberculosis.

Rabies is caused by the bite of a dog, cat or other animal affected by it. The newest methods - of preventing these diseases are being investigated by the World Health Organisation. When found to be effective they are recommended by the organisation to member countries.

New Vaccine For example, a new vaccine against rabies for use in dogs will soon be tested by WHO on a large scale, and it is hoped that eradication of this disease in many countries will be made possible. By these various means and—equally important—by encouraging closer co-operation between veterinary and medical public-health officials in all countries WHO hopes to contribute its share to the control of animal diseases transmissible to man.