One Health and the Gulf oil spill

The Gulf oil spill is obviously a disaster of immense proportions, but it’s also an excellent example of how human health, animal health, and ecosystem health are interrelated.

We already know that the spilled oil poses a serious threat to fish, sea birds, and other wildlife -  from oil spilling into the sea as well as washing ashore and affecting land animals.  We know that fish and other animals have died from being exposed to the oil, and that’s a tragedy in itself.

But many of us haven’t realized the long-term effects this spill could have on our food supply and public health.  Because oil contains some chemicals that can cause cancer, it’s likely that we won’t be able to eat fish harvested from the Gulf for quite some time…in fact, it may be decades.

Read more of the story in USA Today.

World Veterinary Day is April 24

It’s the 10th “birthday” of World Veterinary Day, and this year’s theme is “One World, One Health: More Cooperation Between Veterinarians and Physicians.”  What’s the big deal, you ask?  Why is it so important that doctors and vets work together?  Two words: zoonotic disease.  Zoonotic (pronounced “ZOO-oh-NOT-ick”) diseases are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans.  (A reverse zoonotic disease is passed from humans to animals, which is less common but can happen.)

Here’s an example:

If your pet is sick, you take it to your vet.  When you’re sick, you go to your doc.  What if your sickness was something that started with your pet?  Your doctor might not originally make that connection unless you make it a point to tell them that your pet has also been sick.  However, if you take your pet to the vet and they find your pet has a disease that is or could be zoonotic, then you’ll know to give your doc a heads-up that it might be affecting you, too.  By working together, vets and docs can help detect, prevent, and treat zoonotic diseases.

Toads with environmental ESP?

Toads have to have one of the best scientific names: bufo bufo.  It’s rivaled only by the water buffalo, bubalus bubalus.

…but I digress.  Here’s an important tidbit: if you live in an earthquake-prone area, maybe you ought to pay more attention to the toads.  A recent study suggests that toads can sense an impending earthquake and will leave the area.  This was based on observations made before and during an earthquake in Italy.  They found that 96% of the male toads left the area 5 days before the earthquake hit – we’ll spare you the jokes about the male gender that were probably told after that discovery!

To learn more, read the article in the Washington Post.

Chicken soup for colds, chicken eye research for blindness

The whole “dogs are color blind” myth was disproved quite a while ago, and now science shows that chickens and other birds may have better color vision than people do.  It may be due to evolution – as birds evolved, they spent more time in sunlight than most mammals did – but chickens (and other birds) have better organization of the receptors in their eyes that detect color.  Learning more about chicken eyes could help researchers find treatments and cures for many eye diseases that can cause blindness.

Read the full story on HealthDay.

Animal diseases don’t just affect animals

…they affect people, too.  We’re not just talking about zoonotic (pronounced “zoo-oh-NOT-ik”) diseases, which can be passed from animals to people – we’re talking about diseases that can wipe out an entire family’s (or community’s) source of self-reliance and income.  A disease like foot and mouth disease, which caused billions of dollars in animal and economic losses when an outbreak occurred in the U.K. in 2001, could be even more devastating if it killed off a large number (or all) of the animals in an underdeveloped country that relies on livestock for transportation, work and food.

In recognition of the importance of preventing and controlling these diseases, preserving food safety and protecting the livestock that play such a vital role in underdeveloped countries, Britain’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Scottish government have pledged 13 million pounds in funding for research.   Read the full story by Reuters U.K.

Muscle-bound monkeys could help cure muscular dystrophy

Gene therapy helped monkeys grow bigger muscles, and this finding may lead to new therapies to help people with muscular dystrophy.  A protein called myostatin puts the brakes on muscle growth, and stopping the action of myostatin lets the muscles grow – much in the same way that letting off the brake can help a car go a little faster.  By inserting a gene that increased the production of a protein that stops the action of myostatin, researchers were able to increase muscle growth.  Human trials may not be too far away, providing hope for many people with muscular diseases.

Read the story on NPR.

Dog breath is no laughing matter

…even if you’re a cat.  Just like people, pets need dental care to keep their teeth healthy.  Pets can develop tooth and gum disease that can cause tooth loss, pain and problems with eating.  Keep their teeth healthy and you’ll help them live a longer, healthier life – everyone wins!

February is National Pet Dental Health Month.  For resources, including a podcast and a video on how to brush your pet’s teeth, visit the AVMA’s Pet Dental Health Month web page.

Regrowing limbs: science, or science fiction?

Regenerative medicine is the study of methods that can help regrow a damaged limb or organ, and it has always seemed like science fiction…until recently, that is.  Scientists at the Salk Institute have found one of the clues to the puzzle.  They’re studying zebrafish, which can regrow their tails, to find out what triggers the regeneration and how it is controlled.  What they’ve found so far is very promising, and could lead to medical advancements that could make prosthetic limbs and organ transplants history.

Read the full article in the New York Times.

Haiti, at the intersection of human health and animal health

The tragic effects of the recent earthquake in Haiti have brought the intersection of human health and animal health to the forefront once again.  A large population of Haitians rely on livestock to survive, and these animals are threatened.  Sure, the livestock weren’t in the buildings that collapsed, but their lives are no less in danger.  Right now, relief efforts include addressing public health issues – even though Haiti is surrounded by water, quality drinking water is in short supply for animals and humans alike.  Haiti has a large population of feral dogs, and the disaster and its after effects are increasing conflict between these animals and people.  Rabies is a big concern, as are other diseases that can be spread by poor quality water (including leptospirosis).  Keeping the human and animal populations healthy is critical to the country’s survival.

Please keep them in your thoughts and help however you can.  For more information and updates, visit the AVMA’s Haiti earthquake page.

Read about the US Army’s 43rd Medical Detachment veterinary team on its way to Haiti.

Learning from Rufus and his friends

When you hear “naked mole rat,” you might think of Rufus, the naked mole rat in the cartoon “Kimpossible.” Although Rufus is a great cartoon sidekick for Kim and Ron, studying real naked mole rats might just help us find the Fountain of Youth. Although naked mole rats are rodents, just like mice and rats and others, they are very different. For one thing, they live MUCH longer—naked mole rats have lived to be 28 years old! Compare that to mice, which only live a couple of years. They also don’t seem to get cancer—at all—which makes them very unique. Scientists are studying them to try to find out just what makes them live so long and why they seem to be immune to cancer. If they can solve those mysteries, people might be on the way to longer, healthier, cancer-free living. Read more in the New York Times.

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