Principles of Preventative Medicine in Zoo Animals

These flashcards cover key principles and concepts from the study of preventative medicine in zoo animals, facilitating review for upcoming exams.

Prevention vs Therapy

Prevention involves stopping disease before it occurs, while therapy involves treating disease after it has occurred.

Infectious Causes

Diseases caused by pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.

Non-infectious Causes

Diseases caused by genetics, environmental factors, and other non-pathogen related reasons.

Direct Disease Transmission

Routes include contact such as nose-to-nose, sexual transmission, vertical transmission, faecal-oral transmission, and transmission via bodily fluids.

Indirect Disease Transmission

Routes include vectors, aerosols, water flow, and fomites.

Factors for Host Susceptibility

Factors include age, nutrition, stress, and asymptomatic shedding.

Environmental Contributions to Disease

Poor ventilation, hygiene, incorrect temperature, and poor welfare can contribute to disease.

Pathogen Factors Influencing Disease Spread

Factors include virulence, host specificity, zoonosis, and shedding.

Surveillance in Preventative Medicine

Monitoring for early detection of diseases.

Active vs Passive Surveillance

Active surveillance seeks data actively, while passive surveillance receives data passively.

General vs Specific Surveillance

General surveillance is broad while specific surveillance is narrow.

Importance of Necropsy

Helps find missed diseases and informs future care.

Exclusion in Preventative Medicine

Preventing disease entry through methods like quarantine and selection.

Factors for Vaccination Consideration

Factors include effectiveness, risks, and administration practicality.

Risks of Routine Treatment

Risks include toxicity, stress, resistance, and cost.

Diagnostic Tools in Zoo Medicine

Tools include blood tests, PCR, serology, imaging, and histology.

Difference between Serology and PCR

Serology detects antibodies and exposure, while PCR detects pathogen DNA indicating current infection.

Seropositive/PCR-negative Horse Rejection

Such a horse may be rejected due to potential exposure and possible latent virus carriage.

Treatment Modalities

Includes husbandry, medication, and surgery.

Regression to the Mean

Conditions may naturally improve or regress towards average levels.

Cure, Management, and Palliation

Cure aims to fix the problem, management seeks to control it, and palliation focuses on comfort.

Factors Influencing Euthanasia Decisions

Factors include prognosis, welfare, available resources, and purpose or value of life.