The role of Veterinary Services in animal health and food safety surveillance, and coordination with other services

Abstract

The control of animal health and food safety has undergone profound changes and is now seen in terms of a global approach, 'from the stable to the table'. The risks themselves have also evolved, principally due to changing practices, and this, coupled with increased knowledge and changes in consumer demands, has led to a more global conception of production chains. In terms of official controls, targeted control of the final food product has gradually been replaced by control of the production processes and an integrated approach to hazards throughout the production chain. This, in turn, has resulted in a new division of responsibilities among the producers (farmers), the manufacturers and the administration; namely, Veterinary Services. The areas in which veterinarians are involved have gradually been extended from animal production to all levels of the food production chain. Animal health interventions on farms are comparable to interventions in agri-food companies. Both are, or should be, included in veterinary training and education. To meet new challenges, the current trend is for Veterinary Services to be responsible for, or coordinate, sanitary interventions from the stable to the table. Coordination between Veterinary Services and other relevant authorities is a key component of good public governance, especially for effective action and optimal management of the resources available.

Identification of a One Health Intervention for Brucellosis in Jordan Using System Dynamics Modelling

“…The important link between farmers' visits to veterinarians, vaccination, and human Brucellosis cases has not previously been explored in the context of Jordan [34]. This is important because attempts to move veterinary services beyond animal and food production to control zoonotic diseases were unsuccessful [34,35]. In our research, we highlight the importance of this link because, in Jordan, it is a focal point for access to veterinary services, such as vaccinations and disease control.…”

“…These delays lead to a loss of trust in the veterinary services by farmers [36], which affects the visit frequency and rate, eventually leading to vaccination failure. Additionally, seeking veterinary services is not typically a priority for most farmers [35], particularly when they suspect brucellosis, due to a fear that their animals will be culled without compensation, which is the current situation in Jordan [37]. The observation that the scenario will only have a negligible (<1%) impact on sheep abortions, despite a marked reduction in human cases, shows that this scenario trades off an animal health expense that benefits human health.…”

Estimating the location of individual livestock holdings and their populations in two developing countries for use in spatial disease spread models

“…5-10. Despite these shortcomings, our method provides a starting point as veterinarians are the critical stakeholders for animal health in any given country (Bellemain, 2013).…”

Fecal Microbiota Analysis in Cats with Intestinal Dysbiosis of Varying Severity

“…The optimization of veterinary services, the reduction of morbidity and mortality of animals, and the effective prevention and improvement of measures to combat various diseases play a decisive role in improving the quality of life of animals [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Recently, in cities, there has been a significant increase in the number of dogs and cats, which often become full-fledged family members.…”