
Small Animal Scott Weese DVM DVScDipACVIM University of Guelph
Where are we now?Current affairs in your industry • Successes • Increasing awareness of infectious disease challenges amongst SA vets and pet owners • Zoonotic and animal diseases
Where are we now?Current affairs in your industry • Challenges • Poorly unified veterinary sector • Dispersed diagnostic testing • Not all done in Canada • Varying methods (and quality) • Lesser individual impact compared to livestock sectors so less overall motivation • Limited interest/mandate by some regulatory bodies • Anecdotally increasing (uncontrolled) international movement • Importation of foreign infectious diseases • Climate change increasing vector-borne disease risks • Emerging diseases (including antimicrobial resistance) • “value” hard to quantify
Where are we going?Future initiatives • Few formal efforts • Disease mapping initiative • Industry (e.g. IDEXX) • http://www.wormsandgermsmap.com • Antimicrobial stewardship group • National culture and susceptibility • Point-in-time, biased population
What will help implement the OAHN in your industry? • Formal integration of disease surveillance and mapping • Communication with/between diagnostic laboratories • Improved primary care veterinarian communication and education • Recognition of the economic impact, social impact and human health impact of companion animal infectious diseases