Environmental and animal hygiene--an indispensable subject for veterinary education?

Based on conference reports, publications, and personal experiences in the field of veterinary environmental hygiene in Germany and abroad, the question is discussed whether the subjects environmental and animal hygiene have to be considered as indispensable subjects for the curricula in veterinary education or only play a secondary role as a fringe area of veterinary medicine. The analysis and evaluation of the relevant literature have shown that this subject has gained an extraordinary significance for science and practice during the last 4-5 decades. Due to its close interconnections with related fields of science like agriculture, human medicine, biology, ecology, engineering sciences and economics the veterinary environmental and animal hygiene has reached such a high standing that it is now an indispensable component of veterinary education in Germany.     

Requirements for the education, continuing education and additional education in the area of veterinary environmental hygiene]

In view of the future of our profession it is required urgently to improve the education, continue studies and special training in the field of veterinarian environmental hygiene energetically. At this the both subjects "Animal hygiene" and "Foodstuffs hygiene" combined with the epidemiology are the central nucleus. To make plain the veterinarian engagement in this field it is proposed to introduce, a lecture in ecology and to designate the subject "Animal hygiene" in future as "Environment and animal hygiene".     

Veterinary administration in the Rhineland--yesterday and today

The public veterinary administration was founded in July 1817 by the "Supreme Act" and developed from the public medical administration during the first half of the 19th century to finally an adequate position in 1913. In the beginning prior objectives were animal disease campaigns and participation in animal breeding activities. Towards the end of the last century the public veterinary administration also dealt with hygiene control concerning food of animal origin and meat hygiene. Further fields of activities followed, for example the control of the disposal of animal carcases, trade with animal drugs, vaccines and feedstuff, protection of animals and poultry meat hygiene. It was of special importance to the medium level of the public veterinary administration when in 1981 a chemist engaged in the supervision of food for human consumption was employed by the "Regierungspr?sident" Cologne. It was then possible to lump together both control in the complete field of supervision of food for human consumption and public veterinary administration.     

Ecosystem health as a clinical rotation for senior students in Canadian veterinary schools.

We describe 4 years of an experimental rotation in ecosystem health offered to senior veterinary students in Canada. Faculty from the 4 Canadian veterinary colleges collaborated in offering the rotation once annually at 1 of the colleges. The 1st rotation was held in Guelph in 1993, followed in successive years by rotations at Saskatoon, Saint-Hyacinthe, and Charlottetown. The rotation is a predominantly field-based experience that allows students to work with veterinary and other role models who are actively engaged in clinical research related to ecosystem health. Five specific field studies that worked particularly well during the rotations are presented. These studies involved investigating mortality in wildlife due to botulism, designing an environmental surveillance system around herds of beef cattle, using belugas to evaluate the health of the St. Lawrence River, dealing with competition for water use by aquaculture and agriculture, and exploring the role of veterinarians during major coastal oil spills. The experience has resulted in our developing the subject matter, field examples, teaching approach, and confidence necessary to make ecosystem health the focus of a productive clinical rotation for senior year veterinary students.     

Teaching and advanced training in the field of animal welfare and behavioral science

Since 1986 the regulations for receiving the veterinary surgeon medical licence include the subjects animal protection and ethology, thus causing demand for appropriate fields of teaching to be offered by the faculties of veterinary medicine. It is explained why the partially fluid boundaries between this new subject and animal hygiene have lead to corresponding combinations of subjects in Hannover and München. The fields of subjects offered in München for example illustrate important questions, especially in connection with practical application and definition towards other subjects. Difficulties within this subject are caused by the varying conditions of the particular university departments of veterinary medicine in the respect of teaching, research and services on the one hand and in the lack of appropriate to-be-scientists despite of excellent professional prospects on the other hand. The aspect of the professional standing is also mentioned, pointing out the fact that the professional stand of veterinary surgeons cannot afford to neglect further fields of occupation.     

A brief overview of food hygiene legislation

Following several animal disease outbreaks and food contaminant scandals in Europe in recent years, the European Commission adopted the White Paper on Food Safety in 2000. This White Paper contains a number of recommendations aimed to increase food safety, improve the traceability of food products and regain consumer confidence in the food industry. To this effect a package of new European legislation on food and feed has been prepared with the following characteristics: responsibility of food safety lies with the food business operator, while the competent authority of the Member State verifies correct implementation of the new rules. Production should be based on good hygienic practice and HACCP principles and products are subject to microbiological criteria and temperature limits. The legislation deals with all food and covers the entire food chain ("from stable to table"). The general framework of the new food hygiene legislation is explained. The General Food Law (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002) is discussed in more detail as well as the Regulations concerning food hygiene. The characteristics and requirements of each one of the three Hygiene Regulations is presented (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 854/2004) with a particular emphasis on the changes in the new (horizontal) legislation as compared to the old (vertical) Directives. Implementing measures of the Hygiene Regulations have been published in the form of four Commission Regulations in December 2005. The implementing measures deal with technical issues often in great detail and became applicable at the same time as the Hygiene Regulations with effect of 1 January 2006. The major issues as laid down in the four Commission Regulations are presented. Finally, various guidance documents are mentioned. These documents are available on the Internet site (http//ec.europa. eu/food/food/biosafety/hygienelegislation/guide_en.htm) of DG SANCO and explain in plain language some of the topics of the Hygiene Regulations.     

Legal aspects of the use of footbaths for cattle and sheep

Claw diseases pose a major problem for dairy and sheep farms. As well as systemic treatments of these illnesses by means of drug injection, veterinarians discuss the application of footbaths for the local treatment of dermatitis digitalis or foot rot. On farms footbaths are used with different substances and for various purposes. The author presents the requirements for veterinary medicinal products (marketing authorization and manufacturing authorization) and demonstrates the operation of the "cascade in case of a treatment crisis". In addition, the distinction between veterinary hygiene biocidal products and veterinary medicinal products and substances to care for claws is explained.     

Tasks of public veterinary affairs in environmental hygiene]

The involvement of official veterinarians in tasks of environmental hygiene is demonstrated under differentiation of the following working-fields: animal waste-removal, animal health protection, animal welfare, and controlling of foods of animal origin. Thereby it results that nearly all sections of public veterinary affairs are connected with environmental aspects to a high degree.     

Modern trends in veterinary public health

The veterinary profession and its contribution to public health should expand in breadth, depth and flexibility to respond to the changing needs of community and society. This longstanding issue is still the subject of controversy between on the one hand those whose scientific activities contribute to our knowledge of food and environmental hygiene, enteric infections, food-borne diseases and zoonoses in general, and on the other the all too numerous traditionalists (even within the profession) who resist the venture of veterinarians into new territories and resent involvement in public health. Veterinarians are ideally suited to function in public health because of their orientation to populations, disease prevention, and the economic implications of disease.     

Integrating molecular biology into the veterinary curriculum

The modern discipline of molecular biology is gaining increasing relevance in the field of veterinary medicine. This trend must be reflected in the curriculum if veterinarians are to capitalize on opportunities arising from this field and direct its development toward their own goals as a profession. This review outlines current applications of molecular-based technologies that are relevant to the veterinary profession. In addition, the current techniques and technologies employed within the field of molecular biology are discussed. Difficulties associated with teaching a subject such as molecular biology within a veterinary curriculum can be alleviated by effectively integrating molecular topics throughout the curriculum, pitching the subject at an appropriate depth, and employing varied teaching methods throughout.     

Invertebrate care.

Invertebrates are attracting increasing interest within the veterinary profession. They are also significant in their own right; as the Council of Europe's "Charter on Invertebrates" points out, they are the most important component of wild fauna as well as providing food, contributing to agriculture and forestry, and aiding medicine,industry, and crafts. Whenever invertebrates are kept in captivity they should be subject to high standards of management and care and veterinary attention-whether by the veterinarian or by the veterinary technician-should be based on sound biological and humanitarian principles.     

Animal husbandry in Moretele 1 of North-West Province: implications for veterinary training and research

Little is known regarding the keeping of animals in the Moretele 1 area of North-West Province, South Africa. Therefore, the status and dynamics of animal husbandry, as well as a general assessment of the needs of animal owners in this area were researched. Results of the investigation will be used to make recommendations for improved veterinary extension servicing in the area. Semi-structured interviews, based on discussions with relevant stakeholders in the community and a resultant problem conceptualisation, were undertaken at 266 randomly selected households in 51 villages and centres in the area, after which the data was checked and verified before being captured and analysed. The findings reveal that within the field of veterinary extension delivery: 1) there is a demand for visual and written extension material, 2) the extension services must function where clients reside, 3) limitations in terms of infrastructure are present and should be addressed through partnerships and coordination amongst all the role-players in the Moretele 1 area, and 4) cattle and poultry are the most important of the animal species and should be the focus points of extension, but the need to curb zoonotic disease should not be disregarded. In this regard veterinary clinics, private veterinarians and other role-players should be used in partnership with extension workers. Lastly, the veterinary clinic is regarded as helpful in many respects by the community consulted and the service should be upgraded and made available to a wider client base, especially where private and state veterinarians are unavailable or too expensive in such resource-limited communities.     

“十三五”国家重点研发计划中的畜牧兽医科技布局与评述

科技资源的布局和配置对于畜牧兽医领域科技创新和产业发展具有重要支撑作用。"十三五"科技计划改革组建了全新的国家重点研发计划,设置"畜禽重大疫病防控与高效安全养殖综合技术研发"等国家重点研发专项对畜牧兽医领域科技创新进行支持,在动物疫病防控、高效安全养殖、养殖环境处理、养殖装备等方面进行了布局,按照基础研究、重点关键技术研发、集成示范进行"全链条设计、一体化实施"。本文以该专项为主,介绍并分析"十三五"国家重点研发计划畜牧兽医类项目实施背景和立项情况,对我国畜牧兽医领域的科技布局进行阐述并提出评述与展望。     

Phage therapy in the fields of veterinary medicine: an overview

During the last years, bacteriophages have been used as valuable tool in microbiological diagnostics and basic research. Even though the potential of bacteriophages for fighting bacterial pathogens is known for a long time, the phage therapy is not used in daily routine worldwide. Due to the continuing spread of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials and an increasing awareness of the necessity to protect consumers' health, the phage therapy meanwhile has become a subject of major interest in veterinary medicine, too.This article is meant to present fields of application for phage therapy as well as current trends of development in the field of livestock animals.     

中兽医药技术是猪只康养最佳供给体系

在我国养猪业面临产品安全和环境污染两大瓶颈的情势下,如何使所生产的猪肉食用卫生,所排粪污环境安全,纯天然、无污染、广效低毒、绿色环保的中兽医药学为破解这两大瓶颈提供了技术支撑。充分发挥我国传统的中兽医药技术的特色和优势,构建以中兽医药为主体的猪只康养技术供给体系,旨在集生产管理"适其天性"、所喂药料"无污染"、治疗药物"纯天然"、预防措施治"未病"、治疗方法"和谐调节"和四季保健"药饲同源"于一体的技术供给体系,从源头上破解这两大难题,从而实现猪只康养,环境安全,猪肉安康,凸显出中兽医药是猪只康养的最佳供给体系。     

高职动物性食品安全系统控制教学方式的研究

高职《动物性食品卫生检验》课程的教学应以培养合格的从事动物性食品生产、经营、加工和卫生检验的综合性人才为目标．以具体的动物性食品为支点、以教学效果为评价指标提出改革的思路,利用现有的资源充分发掘学生的学习积极性和实践动手能力,强化基本技能的训练,并结合食品卫生界的最新研究思路,培养学生对食品安全系统的综合控制理念,以实现对该课程较为全面地掌握。     

Productivity and socio-economic profile of dairy cattle farmers amongst rural smallholder communities in northern Vietnam

The objective of this field questionnaire survey was to describe the productivity and socio-economic profile of dairy cattle farmers in northern Vietnam considering regional differences in rural smallholder farming communities which have been targeted by a governmental dairy development policy. Using two-stage cluster sampling, a total of 99 dairy farming households (11 per commune) were recruited from 9 of 32 communes in Ba Vi District, Ha Tay Province, northern Vietnam. The results from this study indicate that there were regional differences in relation to basic management practices such as effective utilisation of agricultural by-products for feeding and hygiene practices. These can be explained by variation amongst the regions with respect to environmental factors affecting agricultural activities such as constraints on land use and access to water resources. There were also regional differences in the use of governmental support such as agricultural extension services and financial institutions. These can be attributed to proximity of the communities to each of the extension institutions as well as the phased and community-specific approach to the provision of governmental financial support for dairy development.     

Exploring the foundations of population health and preventive medicine as essential elements for veterinary education

The evolution of preventive medicine and public health training in professional veterinary medicine curricula is documented. Most veterinary colleges in the US began with a single course in meat hygiene or public health, with a focus on food hygiene issues. These courses laid the foundation for modern veterinary preventive medicine and public health training for veterinary students. Most graduates of veterinary colleges today have extensive training in population health, preventive medicine, and zoonotic diseases.     

《家畜环境卫生学》教学模式的探索

 《家畜环境卫生学》是动物科学和动物医学专业的专业基础课,是一门理论和实践应用紧密结合的课程。结合对动物科学、动物医学专业教学改革实际,论文从教学方法和手段、实验课程教学以及教学实习基地建设等方面进行论述,探索家畜环境卫生学理论与实践教学模式,提升教学效果。