News

Use of cytotoxic drugs are believed on the rise, officials report, consequently, so are the potential adverse health risks to veterinarians handling these chemicals.

NEWPORT, TENN.- Dr. John Chambers knows when to back away from an angry cat. He learned after losing a fingertip.

So, how serious is the injury threat to veterinarians?

Technological advances and practitioner compliance appear to have lessened the risk of cancer in veterinarians, although potentially carcinogenic exposures are still an unfeigned threat to the profession.

George Anyon, a philosopher, penned this thought, "Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more." What is the meaning of this aphorism? Is there a difference between knowledge and wisdom? How does this thought apply to our role as veterinary practitioners?

Veterinarians are advised to take precautions against the bacteria Pasteurella multocida as a New England Journal of Medicine article reveals the microbe can be transmitted through somewhat casual contact with pets.

Austin, Texas - A federal veterinarian's routine exam with one carcass resulted in some bad news for a beef cattle herd in south central Texas.

The AAHA Press has published a comprehensive management book designed to reach both the beginner and experienced veterinary manager.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has appointed a recent Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine grad as a veterinary medical officer.

Kenner, La. - The Pelican State has located the first confirmed presence of West Nile Virus in the form of a dead blue jay, according to the Arbovirus Testing Laboratory (ATL) in the Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Sixth Annual Emergency Peparedness Satellite seminar is now available to DVMs without a satellite hook-up. On Wednesday, September 19 and Thursday, September 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., DVMs from around the country will be able to view the seminar, free of charge by visiting select locations. The two-day seminar will focus on deadly and contagious diseases that are threatening the U.S.

Rockville, Md. - Dr. Linda Tollefson, deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), is the first female veterinarian in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to attain rear admiral rank.

Researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have teamed with the University of Alabama and Rutgers University to study and identify specific types of mosquitoes most likely to transmit the West Nile virus.

Washington, D.C. - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must take "prompt, substantial steps" to avert delays in its review of emerging breakthroughs in medical technology, the Lewin Group, a health care policy research firm, advises.

Chicago - Anthrax is believed to be the source of the deaths of at least 80 cattle in northwest Minnesota, according to the state board of animal health.

Lake Tahoe, Nev. - Laughter is the best medicine - even dogs will tell you that, report researchers at Sierra Nevada College.

West Lafayette, Ind. - With the help of an experimental procedure under way at Purdue University, a dog whose rear legs were paralyzed after being struck by a car has regained the use of the legs.

Washington - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking companies involved in animal cloning to not introduce these animals, progeny or food products into the human or animal food supply.

Austin, Texas - With the imminent threat of foot-and-mouth disease invading our borders, Texas legislators have voted it's time swine get a new diet.

Richmond, Va. - The health benefits of interacting with companion animals will be analyzed at a center launched by the Virginia Commonwealth University.

Raleigh, N.C. - A new non-invasive test, developed by researchers at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, can detect pulmonary problems in horses.

Washington - Nearly half of the total animal health product sales (45 percent) comes from the companion animal sector.

Washington - A new commercial blood test kit can detect chicks infected by an extremely deadly strain of avian leukosis virus, ALV-J, reports the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, which patented the technology.

Washington - The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA) are asking a federal district judge to determine the constitutionality of the pork checkoff, and to rule on the legality of the settlement agreement between NPPC and the USDA.

The Association of Avian Veterinarians and the Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment are spreading the word via posters that cat abandonment should be abandoned and that cats are best kept in-house.

Atlanta - Although salmonella has traditionally been associated with chicken, cats and other animals can shed Salmonella in their feces, and then spread the bacterial infection to humans, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Atlanta - Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin would like to "move up in line" to receive the USDA-approved vaccine for West Nile Virus, following confirmation of the virus in a horse in the state.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has instituted new interstate movement, identification, and indemnity requirements for sheep and goats, agreed to by all 50 states.

Alameda, Calif. - The joint efforts of the California Veterinary Medical Association, 1,042 veterinarians in California and a $5.6 million grant from the Maddie's Fund, have resulted in the spaying and neutering of 100,000 feral cats.

Dayton, Ohio - The Iams Company has launched a service that will allow veterinarians to directly place and control home delivery orders.