Aim, objectives and

role of veterinary
public health in
modern society
What is Veterinary Public Health ?
Defn:
“Veterinary Public Health comprises all the
community efforts influencing and
influenced by the veterinary medical arts
and sciences applied to the prevention of
diseases, protection of life, and promotion
of the well being and efficiency of man."
(WHO/FAO 1951)
“Veterinary Public Health is a component
of public health activities devoted to the
application of professional veterinary
skills, knowledge and resources for the
protection and improvement of human
health." (WHO/FAO 1975)
 “Veterinary Public Health is the
contribution to the complete physical,
mental, and social well-being of humans
through an understanding and application
of veterinary medical science."
(WHO 1999)
Aim and Objective
 To help people to produce food of animal
origin hygienically.
 To make scientific investigation of animal
diseases.
 To protect the human beings from diseases
of animal origin.
 To prevent contamination of food products.
 To protect the food from contamination by
communicable diseases.
Why is it important?
VPH an integral component of
the health triad.

Environment
 Food
Zoonoses protection

•Zoonoses •Food
•Epidemiology Microbiology
•Food
Chemistry
•Meat Hygiene
•Milk Hygiene

ROLE OF VETERINARY PUBLIC

HEALTH

Environmental VPH
health services
 The Role of
Veterinary Public Health
 Prevention and control of Zoonotic
diseases
 Food protection
 Environmental protection
 Veterinary public health services
 Pet-facilitated therapy

 Animal monitoring for public health

hazards
 Animal model laboratories

 Community services
 ZOONOSES
“Zoonoses” - those diseases naturally transmissible between
animals and man.

VPH essential component of public health response to

emerging and re-emerging infectious disease .

Zoonotic diseases:
Approximately 75% of emerging or reemerging
diseases affecting humans over the last 10 years
have originated from animals or animal products.
Bio-terrorism:
anthrax, botulism, plague, small pox,
avian influenza etc.
Animal diseases may threaten human
health in 2 ways:
 (1) through nonzoonotic diseases:
they may threaten the animal
populations that serve as food,
transportation, or traction power
in the fields.
eg- Cattle plague, or rinderpest
foot-and-mouth disease
swine fever
Contd…………..

 (2) through zoonotic diseases:

that are transmissible to humans.

Eg - rabies, brucellosis, tuberculosis, Q

fever, salmonellosis, hydatid disease
etc
Prevention and control of Zoonotic diseases

Veterinary responsibilities ?
 Protect humans from exposure to diseases
transmitted from animals
 Protect animals from zoonotic infections
 Educate clients and public to protect
themselves from zoonotic diseases
 Apply epidemiology (herd health medicine) to
determine the source of disease in animals
and the dynamics of transmission
 Disease surveillance and eradication program
 Disease prevention and control
 Food protection
 food borne diseases is now increasing alarmingly
 bacterial diseases :Escherichia coliO157:H7,
salmonellosis, listeriosis, vibrio
parahaemolyticus infection etc
 helminthic and protozoan parasites

 Toxic metabolites produced by fungi

 VPH  for protection of foods of animal

origin like meat, milk, egg and fish from the
threat posed by food borne diseases..
 Food protection
(Hygiene of foods of animal origins)
Veterinary responsibilities ?
 play a major role in food quantity, quality
and safety
 provide an adequate and wholesome food
supply by -
 production of healthy animals

 slaughter and process of food

animals
 inspection of animal products
 HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL
CONTROL POINTS (HACCP)
Seven principles
 Conduct hazard analysis
 Determine critical control point
 Establish critical limits
 Establish corrective actions
 Establish verification procedures
 Establish documental/record
keeping
HACCP : identifies, evaluates and
controls hazards that are significant for
food safety
 Environmental Hazards and Protection
Animals as indicators of environmental hazards:

Identification of high mercury levels in the organs of

Japanese cats showing nervous signs directed attention
to the cause of a similar disease in fish eating people
inhabiting in the same area of Japan’s Minamata bay

The decline in sea bird population associated with their

egg shell fragility apparently induced by DDT is another
example of the probable effects of the agent in human
beings.

canine cancer and asbestos exposure

Environmental Health

Disposal of animal wastes and recycling of waste:

 utilization of animal wastes, organs and parts of

animals considered not fit for human
consumption, for producing protein
supplement through various heat and chemical
treatments.

 VPH participation involves the risk of zoonosis

and the introduction of various diseases through
alteration of natural habitats by man.
 Environmental Health

Veterinary responsibilities ?
 protect both the rural and urban environment
from degradation by animal concentrations
 protect humans and animals from adverse
environmental effects
 identify safe water supplies
 advise water protection/purification

 diagnose waterborne diseases and

toxicoses
 advise on human health hazard associated
with animals and animal wastes
 Veterinary
VETERINARY services
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

 Disease control
 Diagnosis and treatment
 Prophylaxis
 Immunoprophylaxis
 Chemoprophylaxis

 Preventive management measures

 Vector control
VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

Laboratory activities
 Laboratory diagnostics
 Vaccine production
 Residue analysis
 Artificial insemination and embryo transfer
 Food inspection
 Meat inspection
 Food hygiene
 VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

PET-FACILITATED THERAPY

 Animal welfare

 Companion animals and mental well-being

 Guide dog

 Dog for handicap

 Animal monitoring for public health hazards

 Contd……
VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

 Community and international health

 Participation
in community services
through expertise in veterinary
medicine
 Disaster management:
 Comparative medicine:
 study of phenomenon of health and disease in
different animal species, including man.
(for the concept “ONE MEDICINE”)
 Laboratory animal production and
medicine..
 Veterinary public health
achievements during the previous
century

 Bovine tuberculosis has been eradicated

from number of countries
 Bovine brucellosis from 10 countries
 Echinococcosis has been eliminated from
Newzealand,Tasmania
 Canine rabies from large cities in America
 Rinderpest has been eradicated from India
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