Veterinary Public Health: Ethical Responsibilities, Communication, and Zoonoses Management
Ethical and Legal Responsibilities of Veterinarians
Core Responsibilities: Veterinarians (vets) have significant ethical and legal responsibilities towards:
Their patients (animals).
Owners (humans).
The general public.
Importance: These responsibilities underscore the critical role vets play in society, necessitating early education on these concepts (e.g., from semester one).
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, students should be able to:
Recognize the role of the veterinarian in state veterinary medicine.
Explain how the veterinarian is involved in issues of public health concerns.
Explain complex issues to diverse audiences, including owners, the public, and government organizations.
Demonstrate understanding of how to simplify technical issues appropriately for different audiences to enable action based on professional advice.
DPM Course Structure & Public Health/Epidemiology Integration
Year 1: Introduction to concepts of Veterinary Public Health (VPH) and State Veterinary Medicine, and Veterinary Immunology.
Year 2: Principles of Food Science and Food Microbiology, and Applied Epidemiology.
Year 3: Advanced topics including:
Control of Zoonoses.
Meat Industry (associated risks and hazards).
Zoonoses Outbreak Investigations.
Meat Industry (risks, control parts).
Applied Epidemiology (continued).
Final Year: Practical application in Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health through clinical rotations.
Legal and Professional Frameworks
Veterinary Surgeon's Mandate (General):
Communicate effectively (written and spoken English) with veterinary teams and other professionals.
Ensure protection of public health, animal health, and welfare.
Consider the environmental impact of their actions.
United Kingdom (RCVS - Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons):
RCVS regulates legal responsibilities for vets in the UK.America (AVMA - American Veterinary Medical Association):
Vets shall respect the law.
Vets shall contribute to the improvement of the community and public health.
Europe (FVE - Federation of Veterinarians of Europe):
Vets shall treat client dealings with confidentiality, except in specified circumstances (e.g., notifiable zoonoses) where disclosure is legally required.
Vets shall be fully committed to their role in maintaining and enhancing public and animal health.
Vets shall comply with all their obligations.
Vets shall report any suspicion of a notifiable disease or animal mistreatment, playing an essential role in maintaining biosecurity.
Zoonoses: Human-Animal Interface and Public Health Impact
Interconnection: Zoonoses involve interaction between animals (patients) and humans (public, owners).
Public Health Problem: Zoonotic diseases pose a direct impact on public health.
Economic Impact: They can create obstacles and challenges to international trade in animal products and sub-products.
Global Regulation: There are global structures and organizations responsible for collaborating with vets and stakeholders during zoonotic outbreaks.
Assignment Overview: Communication for Diverse Audiences
Task: To write two different documents for distinct audiences based on a given scenario.
Group Work: Preferably groups of (can be or ).
Scenario Choice: Groups choose one out of several provided zoonosis scenarios. Each group should ideally choose a different scenario if possible.
Deliverables:
Press Release (one page) for the general public.
Briefing Note (one and a half pages) explaining background and required actions for government/relevant authorities.
Core Skill: Vets must be able to write for diverse audiences (public, government) effectively, simplifying complex information appropriately.
Priority in Zoonoses: In cases of zoonoses, human health is the top priority for veterinary action.
The Press Release
Purpose: To disseminate information rapidly to news organizations and the general public, ensuring prompt awareness.
Objective: To inform the public about a situation and necessary actions.
Example (Monkeypox):
Headline: Short and action-oriented (e.g., "Monkeypox cases confirmed in England").
Date/Time: Crucial, especially for fast-spreading diseases where multiple updates may occur on the same day.
Key Facts: At least two key facts following the date.
Response/Actions: What organizations/government bodies are doing.
Quote: A closing quote to reassure or provide context/truth to the public.
Tips for Writing:
Headline: Should contain action verbs (e.g., "University Research Leads Way in Preventing Disease Outbreaks").
First Paragraph: Answer the "Who, What, Why, and Where" (the 5 Ws, central to epidemiology).
Language: Easy and accessible language.
Quotes: Include a quote.
Length: Most press releases are concise, ideally one page long.
Sufficiency: Provide enough information for news outlets to craft their own stories.
Structure Elements (General Example):
Headline/Title: Tells readers what the release is about.
Summary: Summarizes key points, covering "Who, What, When, Where, Why."
Date and Location: Clearly stated.
Body: Contains additional details, statistics, and findings.
Close: Often ends with a concluding statement or quote.
The Briefing Note
Purpose: An essential tool for summarizing information to contribute to decision-making within government departments and agencies.
Objective: To express ideas, identify concerns, analyze issues, provide advice, make recommendations, and seek decisions from authorities.
Audience: Government officials or institutions responsible for taking action (e.g., closing borders, euthanizing animals).
Distinction from Press Release: Unlike a press release for public information, a briefing note is for professional decision-makers and requires a more formal and detailed approach.
Key Elements:
Clear Objective: The document's purpose (to inform, create a moment for action).
Context: Background circumstances leading to the briefing note's creation.
Issue Statement: A concise statement of the problem.
Explanation/Corroboration: Items or information explaining or supporting the issue statement.
Structure/Sections:
Introduction: Purpose and summary of the note.
Development: Can include key headings such as:
Facts of background.
Current situation.
Issues identified.
Considerations (e.g., challenges, opportunities).
Consultations (stakeholders involved).
Department position and strategic action.
Prognosis (likely outcomes).
Decision point (what decision is needed).
Orders (specific directives).
People affected by the issues.
Conclusion: Main comments, recommendations, prognosis, and next steps.
Guiding Questions for Writing:
What is the disease?
Who is affected (animals, humans)?
When did it occur/is it occurring?
Where is it located?
Why is it happening?
How is it spreading?
What information should be gathered?
What advice would you provide?
What appropriate actions should be taken by relevant authorities?
Professionalism: Requires professional terminology to state the importance, extent (e.g., ), and implications of the problem, enabling informed decisions based on veterinary records.
Assessment Criteria
Focus: Judgment will be based on how effectively the student covers the issues and specifically addresses the two distinct audiences (general public and government/authorities).
Not Judged On:
Referencing (not typically included in press releases or briefing notes).
The raw amount of information content (rather, how it's presented and tailored).
Assignment Scenarios (Examples)
Students will choose one of these zoonosis scenarios:
Scenario 1: Gambian Pouched Rats
Setting: Heathrow Airport.
Situation: Border force intercepts Gambian pouched rats from Ghana, retailing at \/!400 each.
Symptoms: Several rats have a rash (pimples, red, sore), are dead. Live ones are not eating, have nasal and eye secretions.
Risk: Suspected zoonosis (likely Monkeypox due to description and prior lecture context).
Exposure: Animals have not left quarantine but had extensive contact with border force staff.
Scenario 2: Q Fever
Setting: Farm in the Lake District.
Situation: Farm vet attending to a farmer with a large sheep flock.
Scenario 3: Rabbit Zoonosis
Setting: Unspecified, but a significant rabbit-related zoonosis.
Assignment Process
Choose a Scenario: Select one from the provided options as a group.
Research: Study the chosen zoonotic disease using internet, library, or books.
Draft Documents: Write the press release (for the public) and the briefing note (for government/informed decision-makers) based on your research and scenario details.