StemCell Therapy

STILLWATER, Okla. Clear blue skies and summer sun means many Oklahomans will be spending time outdoors. Some pet owners enjoy bringing their furry friends along on summer activities.

Although many animals like spending time outside, pet owners need to take precautions to ensure they stay safe in the summer heat, said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, Oklahoma State University Extension veterinarian and director of continuing education for the universitys College of Veterinary Medicine.

Humans take precautions such as staying hydrated and applying sunscreen when spending time outdoors in the heat. Its just as important to take heat-related precautions for your pet, Biggs said. Dogs dont sweat like people instead they pant to cool themselves. Excessive panting indicates your pet is overheated. As the heat increases, body functions begin to shut down.

As for car rides, leaving a pet in a hot vehicle is a life-threatening mistake. Biggs said cars interiors heat up quickly, even if the air temperature is only 80 degrees. The interior of a vehicle can reach 115 degrees in just 15 minutes.

When dogs pant to cool themselves, inhaling hot air from inside a vehicle has little cooling effect and the animal can quickly overheat in just a few minutes, she said. As much as you enjoy your pets company, and as much as they enjoy rides in the car, its best to leave your furry friend at home on hot days.

For those who enjoy a good run with a canine friend, Biggs said to keep in mind asphalt roads and walking trails can be too hot and burn the pads on a dogs feet. Before heading out, place your hand or bare foot on the running surface. If the surface is uncomfortable to human touch, it also is too hot for a dog. She suggested going for a short run or walk early in the day or later in the evening when the temperature is more bearable.

For those who enjoy lake trips, do not assume a pet dog will drink lake water. Be sure to always bring a bowl and a supply of fresh water to keep the dog hydrated.

The same is true at home. Sun coming through a window can heat up a water bowl, and most dogs will not drink hot water no matter how thirsty they are.

Biggs said for pets who stay outside during the day, make sure the water bowl is in a place thats shaded and cannot be tipped over. If possible, give your dog fresh, clean water several times throughout the day.

Freeze containers of water to put in your pets outdoor water bowl, she said. This will help ensure your furry friends water stays cooler for a longer period of time.

Access to shade in the yard is an absolute must for pets. A small kiddie pool is a great way to provide a fun cooling-off spot where Rover can play.

Despite all precautions, a pet may still show signs of heat stress or heat stroke. Signs of heat stroke include heavy panting that does not resolve as the pet rests, increasing distress, a tongue color that is dark red to almost purple, weakness or collapse, hyper-salivation, vomiting and labored breathing.

Dogs gums often appear redder early on when an animal is overheated and become paler when excessively overheated. In addition, a dogs gums may be dry or sticky if the animal is not staying adequately hydrated.

If you suspect a dog or cat is suffering from heat stroke, move him to a cooler environment immediately and apply cool water to the abdomen, ears and foot pads. Dont pour ice water over the whole animal, submerge your pet in a tub of cold water, or cover it in a cold, wet blanket, as these all may result in cooling your animal too quickly and decreasing blood flow to important areas, Biggs said.

Once stable, get the animal to a veterinarian as quickly as possible, even if the pet seems to be cooling down and the body temperature seems normal. Biggs said heat can cause internal damage thats not immediately obvious.

As a pet owner, its vital to establish a good relationship with a local veterinarian, not only for emergency situations, but also for regular checkups, she said. If you travel with your pets, get veterinarian recommendations for the area to which youre traveling in the event your pet gets sick.

Keeping a dog well-groomed is another way to reduce the risk of heat stress and help keep the animal more comfortable in the summer heat. A natural coat that has been groomed offers protection from sunburn and acts as cooling insulation. Shaving your dogs coat will take away that protection.

Remember, your pet cant tell you in words when something is wrong. As responsible pet owners, its your job to protect and provide for your pet, Biggs said. If youre feeling uncomfortably warm, its a sure bet your dog is, too.

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Keeping pets safe in the summer heat | News | claremoreprogress.com - Claremore Daily Progress

1. Alexis Kublin

Alexis Kublin, the valedictorian, of Fall River is the daughter of Colleen Kublin and Robert Kublin. She is a four-year member of the Bristol Aggie Drama Club and also served as its Director for the past two years. She has been a member of the cross country team for the past four years and was co-captain her senior year. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. Alexis was in the Floriculture program at Bristol Aggie and plans on attending Wheaton College and majoring in creative writing in the fall.

2. Nevin Poirier

Nevin Poirier, the salutatorian, of Fall River is the son of Stephen Poirier and Shawneen Castello. He has been a part of the baseball, basketball, and soccer teams at Bristol Aggie. He majored in Small Animal Science and is going to Becker College in Worcester/Leicester, MA where he has been accepted to participate in the Veterinary Science program. After graduating Becker College, he plans to attend postgraduate school to study veterinary medicine with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.

3. Kenzie Casper

Kenzie Casper of Somerset is the daughter of Kevin Casper. She is the president of the National Honor Society and Vice President of the senior class. She majored in Floriculture and was a member of the FFA floriculture team. Kenzie placed first at the regional competition and ranked 15th at the National FFA Convention in the Floriculture Career Development event. After graduating, Kenzie plans to attend Bridgewater State University for a degree in psychology.

4. Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith of Rochester is the daughter of Marcia Smith and Spence Smith. She was an Animal Science major and a proud member of the volleyball team all four years of high school. Hannah also served as the Treasurer of the schools National Honor Society. After graduating, Hannah plans to attend the University of Vermont, where she will study Animal Science with the goal to pursue a career in animal nutrition.

5. Hope Siddall

Hope Siddall of Rehoboth is the daughter of Laurie Siddall and Joseph Siddall. She was a Small Animal Science major and employed as a student worker for the Animal Science Department for three years. Hope served as the student representative on the schools Board of Trustees, was a student ambassador all four years, a member of the prom committee and in the schools National Honors Society. After graduating, Hope will be attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst to major in animal science with the hopes of continuing on to vet school.

6. Hannah Johnson

Hannah Johnson of West Wareham is the daughter of Paula Johnson and Dana Johnson. She was a Floriculture major, President of the senior class, Vice President of the National Honor Society and Vice President of the Bristol FFA chapter. She participated on the yearbook committee, prom committee and played volleyball for three years. She participated in many FFA competitions earning the opportunity to compete at the national level, in the Prepared Public Speaking event and the Floriculture Career Development Event. After graduating, Hannah will be attending Berklee College of Music and plans to study Music Therapy and minor in songwriting or vocal performance.

7. Emily Mills

Emily Mills of Fall River is the daughter of Christine and Geoffrey Mills. She was a Small Animal Science major and was an Animal Science student worker for four years. She also assisted with tutoring younger students as a PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) . Emily will be attending Bristol Community College in the Fall to major in biology, with the hopes of becoming a registered dietitian in the future.

8. Karolyn Auer

Karolyn Auer of Attleboro is the daughter of Lauri Auer and Daniel Auer Jr. She was a Large Animal Science major and active member of the FFA serving as the chapters Reporter. Karolyn participated in many competitions and events earning the opportunity to compete at the national level in the Horse Evaluation. She plans on taking a gap year to focus on her service as a Massachusetts FFA State Officer before attending the University of Maine Orono for animal science.

9. Quinn Prejsnar

Quinn Prejsnar of Attleboro is the son of Jacqueline Prejsnar and James Prejsnar. He was an Agricultural Mechanics major, a member of the National Honor Society and has been a student worker for the past four years. He has participated in the baseball and basketball teams since freshman year and was a part of the Slow Tools engineering group. Quinn plans on attending UMass Dartmouth and majoring in computer science in the fall of 2020.

10. Sarah Denis

Sarah Denis of Westport is the daughter of Francine Denis and David Denis. She was a Floriculture major and member of the National Honor Society. She has participated in both Volleyball and Softball throughout her four years. After graduating Sarah will be attending Bristol Community College with plans to major in Veterinary Health Care.

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Bristol Aggie Top Ten graduates of the Class of 2020 - SouthCoastToday.com

The Minnesota Futures Grant Program is offered annually by the Office of the Vice President for Research to promote research that incorporates new, cross-disciplinary ideas and develop projects to a point where they become competitive for outside funding. This years Minnesota Futures award supports a multidisciplinary team of researchers working to better understand the ecology and transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a deadly, infectious disease that affects deer and other cervids (such as elk and moose).

The project, The Emergence of Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota: Transmission across a Landscape of Plants, Soils, Water, and Deer, will receive $249,000 over two years and involves researchers in UMNs College of Biological Sciences (CBS), College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). The lead PI is Eric Seabloom from the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior in CBS.

CWD is a prion disease, a protein-based neurological disease that can cause normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally, which has the potential to cross species and is able to remain infectious in the environment for many years. Emerging evidence points to plants, soils, and water as potential reservoirs for CWD prions, fueling fears of contamination in agricultural products and water, as well as concerns for wildlife management, food production, and human health. While the disease has not jumped yet to humans, some experts fear it could.

Limited knowledge about CWD movement through the environment inhibits prediction of CWD transmission and risk in Minnesota. To address these challenges, this project pulls together experts on prion biology, disease ecology, veterinary epidemiology, deer behavior, plant and soil ecology, and hydrology. By generating novel experimental data, collecting field data at an outbreak site in southeastern Minnesota, and synthesizing models of spread at local and landscape scales, the research will fill a fundamental knowledge gap about the ecology and environmental transmission of CWD and will be an important step towards predicting and mitigating the spread of CWD and other prion diseases.

Since 2008, Minnesota Futures has supported research by faculty who go on to win substantial grants and whose innovations reach the market to potentially improve the lives of millions. In previous years, two awards of up to $250,000 have been awarded. This year, because deep budget cuts are possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OVPR has funded just one project for this grant cycle.

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2020 Minnesota Futures to Advance Research on Chronic Wasting Disease - UMN News

When baby Grace turned one on May 1, she celebrated with a princess-themed birthday party, complete with a special three-layer cake: blocks of ice with berries and currants tucked inside.

Grace, a western lowland gorilla, lives with her mom, Kashata, at Walt Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom. All four of Disneys Orlando theme parks shut down in mid-March due to the pandemic and will begin to reopen on July 11. But throughout the closure, employees have continued their work caring for the resident animals like Grace and Kashataincluding regularly planned activities, like celebrating birthdays.

Though thousands of Disney employees have been furloughed, Animal Kingdom has mostly kept its animal care team of over 1,000 zookeepers, vets, scientists, and more intact. This diverse team cares for roughly 10,000 animals, says Mark Penning, who oversees animals and environmental issues at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Only 2,000 of these Disney animalsrepresenting 300 species including lions, zebra, and giraffescall the Animal Kingdom park home. The bulk of the animals actually live throughout Disney World, including the Living Seas at Epcot, Fort Wilderness, and Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The well-being of our animals is absolutely our top priority, says Penning, noting how Disney created habitats so animals could carry out as many of their natural behaviors as possible. For the most part, the animals behavior during the park closure hasn't changed. Take gorillas, for instance. They still sleep all night. When they wake up in the morning, they have access to their habitat and their foodsome of which is hidden in their enclosure so they can forage for it. In the middle of the day, the animals often move inside for a health check, with the animal care team making sure everything is well. Then the gorillas spend the rest of the afternoon out in their habitat before going to bed.

Disneys director of animal and science operations, Scott Terrell, says his team made a conscious choice prior to closing to keep life as normal and positive as possible for the animals. Thats been our guiding principle, so the animals can continue to thrive through this very difficult, challenging time, says Terrell, a doctor of veterinary medicine.

To keep up with their usual routines, the animal care team provides regular health checks and medical care. Part of the Animal Kingdom training includes working with the animals to get them to respond to cues to participate in their own care, such as receiving food or getting medical attention. Cues might be noises (like banging a stick on a bucket) mixed with positive reinforcement (something the animal really enjoys, like a snack or special toy). And, depending on the animal, it could take weeks for this process to take hold.

For the most part, the animals behavior during the park closure hasn't changed.

While the animals enjoy their routines, they're also sometimes treated to surprises, says Penning. For example, to provide a surprise snack to the Animal Kingdom's hungry hippos, an employee will stand up on a small cliff, bang a bucket to signal a special treat, and the hippos wade over to feast on heads of lettuce tossed into the water.

Thats not a performance, explains Terrell. Thats a come here, open your mouth so that we can either feed you, or we can get a look at those beautiful teeth, or we can deliver medications or vitamins if needed. The fact that we can do that and typically share that incredible moment with guests? Thats a win-win.

As for Graces unusual birthday cake surprise, its presentation in an ice block does more than just stave off Florida's summer heat. The frozen treats serve a dual purpose, explains Penning. Gorillas enjoy picking the treats out of the ice as it melts, making the cake part of regular enrichment for the animals to keep them both mentally and physically stimulated.

And what about the lack of guests at the park these last few months? Have the animals even noticed?

Generally, theyre nonplussed with the guests and dont pay much attention, Penning says. But a few seem to notice fewer people are strolling by.

For example, some of the young gorillas, known for their mischievous antics, like to play, wrap banana leaves around their heads and roll down the hill, right at the viewing spot frequented by guests, whod react with laughter and pointing. The youngsters are now sitting at the window, almost like a person whose TV has been turned off, says Penning, noting that his team finds creative ways to keep them busy. Similarly, the otters, who see guests through an underwater viewing area, are having fun with the staff, who have placed alien-shaped cutouts on the window glass. The otters and the keepers found this amusing, and thats something we wouldnt do when our guests are around, Penning says.

Animal Kingdom is the park that celebrates the magic of nature, says Terrell. Our animals continue to show us every day that life does indeed go on.

We're reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. Find all of our coronavirus coverage and travel resources here.

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How Walt Disney World Is Caring for Its 10,000 Animals While Parks Are Closed - Cond Nast Traveler

Zahra Naziri, Abdollah Derakhshandeh, Arash Soltani Borchaloee, Meisam Poormaleknia, Negar Azimzadeh

Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Correspondence: Zahra NaziriDepartment of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71345 1731 Tel +98 71 36138668Fax +98 71 32286940Email z.naziri@shirazu.ac.ir

Background: Global increase in the prevalence of virulent extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which is also multi-drug resistant (MDR), leads to increase in severity of urinary tract infections (UTIs), decrease in the efficacy of the first-line antibiotics, and therefore increase in the morbidity and mortality rates.Methods: We investigated the distribution of ESBL-producing UPEC in 78 E. coli isolates from community-acquired UTI patients in southern Iran. The prevalence of three major ESBL genes, antimicrobial resistance patterns against 15 conventional antibiotic disks, and the presence of 11 important virulence genes that involve in the development and progression of UTIs were evaluated in these isolates.Results: Of the UPECs, 34.6% were ESBL-positive and 96.3% of the ESBL-producers were MDR. Among the ESBL-producers, 100% harbored blaCTX-M, 63% harbored blaSHV, and 11.1% harbored blaTEM genes. ESBL-producers showed a higher level of resistance to the tested cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline than non-ESBL producers. All isolates were resistant to the tested penicillins. Prevalence of resistance to about two-third of the tested antibiotics was higher than 50% and 93.6% of the isolates were MDR. High prevalence of virulence factors particularly the adhesins (82.1% csgA, 73.1% fimH genes) and siderophore (73.1% sitA gene) was seen in the UPECs. But fortunately in MDR isolates, the virulence score and prevalence of hemagglutinin (tsh), hemolysin toxin (hlyD) and invasin (ibeA) genes were lower than in non-MDR UPECs. Shockingly, among the 15 common antibiotics, only nitrofurantoin (< 20% resistance) could be recommended as an appropriate drug for the treatment of UTIs due to our ESBL-producer UPECs.Conclusion: The alarming level of virulent MDR ESBL-producer E. coli strains in this study necessitates the performing of an antibiotic stewardship program, regional screening of ESBL-producers and their virulence properties to select appropriate antibiotic, or designing new therapeutic methods for UTIs by inactivation of the essential virulence factors of UPECs.

Keywords: uropathogenic Escherichia coli, extended spectrum beta-lactamases, multi-drug resistance, virulence factor, urinary tract infection

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Treatment Failure in Urinary Tract Infections: A Warning Witness for V | IDR - Dove Medical Press

Imagine this: A pet owner sanitizes his hands before doing just about anything. He spritzes on some alcohol or rubs on some sanitizer. Then suddenly, they decide to feed their pet fish or clean their tanks.

Bits of chemicals from the alcohol get into the fish tank's water, which gets ingested by the fish and poisons them. This is currently what's happening, according to sources in Australia.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, people have been scurrying to buy sanitizers and alcoholfor their own protection. Officials are now cautioning pet owners to be mindful of their fish when handling their tanks.

On Tuesday, a concerned customer paid a visit to PetStock in Zetland, Sydney, saying her pet fish had started acting weird. The manager on duty explained that it was a possibility that the fish was suffering from alcohol poisoning, an observation that wasn't uncommon during this time of the pandemic.

The customer told sourcesthat the store had been aware of the spike in fish casualties throughout the pandemic.

Read Also: You Have Been Using Hand Sanitizer Wrong

The store manager recalls having several fish deaths in their store, but only later realized that it could be due to the increased usage of hand hygiene products. Additionally, she says the store management had raised concerns among team members.

Staff members are asked to wash their hands with soap and water before sticking them in the fish tank. Fish owners are also asked to take extra precautions and to be mindful when handling their fish tanks at home.

The manager warned people not to contaminate the water in their fish tanks with their alcohol-smothered hands. She hoped that by educating customers about potential dangers, unnecessary pet deaths would be prevented.

While fish are virtually the only pet who could die from ingesting low levels of hand sanitizer, some say the substance could pose a threat to all pets.

According to the Pet Poison Hotline, ingestion of large amounts of hand sanitizer can cause vomiting, lethargy, incoordination, vital sign drops, and weak respirations. Furthermore, severely intoxicated animals could also experience respiratory failure and seizures.

In the past months, there have been postscirculating on Facebookwarning pet owners not to pet their dogs after applying hand sanitizer or allowing them to lick their hands afterward.

On the contrary, Dr. Karyn Bischoff from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine told Reutersthat hand sanitizer does not pose a threat to pets if the owners use them in reasonable amounts.

She says that sanitizer could cause discomfort in pets due to its fumes and odors. Additionally, it could irritate if the substance comes in contact with their nose or eyes. Cats, who are particularly sensitive to smells, could be aggravated by the scent of the disinfectants.

However, she says that the allegations on Facebook postswere false. Although swallowing copious amounts of hand sanitizer could hurt a pet, touching or petting pets after application of the hand disinfectant does not put the pets in danger.

Also Read: Exploding Hand Sanitizers: Never Leave them Inside Hot Cars, Warns Expert

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Fears Over Coronavirus Transmission are Affecting Pet Fishes as They Unintentionally Suffer From Alcohol Poiso - Science Times

Since the first vaccine was invented in 1796, the practice of immunization has transformed how we view infectious diseases, taking many pathogenic invaders from being deadly threats to easily preventable maladies. For humans and animals alike, vaccines are important healthcare tools.

Dr. Leslie Easterwood, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says the equine strangles vaccine is one that is of particular importance for horse owners in protecting their animal.

Strangles is the common term for the bacterial respiratory disease caused by Streptococcus equi, subspecies equi, Easterwood said. Strangles infections most commonly present as an upper respiratory infection that primarily involves the lymph nodes in a horses jaw. Symptoms include high fevers, thick nasal discharge, depression, and a lack of appetite.

The bacteria that causes strangles in horses may sound familiar to their human owners; a cousin of this bacteria, called Streptococcus pyogenes, causes strep throat in people. Though these bacteria are genetically similar and cause upper respiratory symptoms in both species, horses with strangles cannot infect humans, and humans with strep throat cannot infect horses.

Strangles is spread via respiratory secretions from infected horses, Easterwood said. It is highly contagious from horse to horse and is pretty common.

Since strangles is easily transmitted between horses, vaccination is an important tool for minimizing the spread of this disease.

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Although the disease rarely results in a fatality, it will make horses sick and can lead to loss of production, decreased performance, and quarantine, in some circumstances, Easterwood said. Vaccination does not provide complete protection, as with all vaccinations, but it can help to decrease the chance of contracting the disease in susceptible populations.

Since horses are often kept in groupsgrazing together at pasture, sharing pens, or neighbored in stalls contagious diseases can quickly work their way through a herd. As such, vaccination remains an essential tool for both individual and herd health.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to vaccinate an animal comes down to the owner, Easterwood says, although there might be situations during which a third party takes interest in a horses vaccination records.

There are no governmentally mandated vaccinations in horses, Easterwood said. Some boarding and breeding facilities will require vaccination to board at their location, but that is not a legal requirement.

Even if no legal requirement enforces the vaccination of horses, owners should still consider consulting with their veterinarian to determine what care is best for maintaining the health of their animal.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Reining in the facts on equine strangles | Lifestyles - New Castle News

Contact: Sid Salter

Frances Coleman (Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss.After a career that spanned over a half-century and witnessed the services and offerings of Mississippi State University Libraries evolve from traditional to digital to virtual, MSU Dean of Libraries Frances N. Coleman is retiring from the university on June 30, MSU Executive Vice President and Provost David R. Shaw announced today [June 15].

Shaw said MSU College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Thomas P. Anderson will serve as interim MSU Dean of Libraries while a national search for a permanent dean is conducted.

Coleman, responsible for the university library system that includes Mitchell Memorial Library and branch libraries at MSUs College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Architecture (Starkville and Jackson campuses) and MSU-Meridian, led unprecedented expansions of facilities, technologies and programming throughout the system.

Dean Coleman provided visionary leadership for our MSU Libraries that not only improved library services on our campuses, but in libraries across Mississippi. My mother was a small-town librarian, and she and all her colleagues knew and respected Frances Coleman, said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. On her watch, our libraries became larger, stronger, more technologically accessible, and more sophisticated in terms of our museums and special collections. In short, Frances has left indelible fingerprints on our library system, and I am profoundly grateful for the outstanding work she has done for our university.

Shaw echoed Keenums praise for Colemans five decades of leadership.

Over the course of her life and work here at Mississippi State, Dean Coleman has paved the way for women moving into positions of substantial leadership. The personal and professional esteem in which she is held by colleagues across the country, and particularly in our state, is indicative of her many accomplishments, Shaw said. It is an honor to have served with her to advance Mississippi State.

Coleman joined the MSU faculty in 1969. She earned an MSU Bachelor of Science degree in education and a Master of Library Science from George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University. She completed additional graduate studies at MSU and at the University of Mississippi.

Prior to her career in higher education, Coleman was a classroom teacher and school librarian in the Dyer County, Tennessee School System. She also worked in the banking field in Dyersburg and Memphis, Tennessee, and in Starkville.

She is a past president or chair of the Mississippi Business and Professional Women, the Southeastern Library Association, and the Mississippi Library Association. Coleman was active throughout her career in numerous research library organizations.

In the Starkville community, Coleman has served in key leadership roles in Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Starkville Chamber of Commerce, Starkville Arts Council, Starkville Rotary Club, and the United Way. In 2003, she was honored for lifetime achievement serving Mississippi libraries by the Mississippi Legislature, received the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Excellence in Leadership Award in 2009 from the Montgomery Foundation Board of Directors, and in 2010 received the John Y. Simon Award of Merit from the Ulysses S. Grant Association.

Coleman played a pivotal role in the successful 2008 transfer of the Ulysses S. Grant Collection from the Morris Library at Southern Illinois University, where it had been housed since 1964. With the relocation to MSUs Mitchell Memorial Library, she became a member of the USGA board of directors.

The relocation of the Grant Collection ultimately led to the establishment at MSU of one of only six presidential libraries on U.S. university campuses. On Nov. 30, 2017, state and national leaders heralded the opening of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the prestigious Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolnianaa recent donation that is considered the largest privately owned Abraham Lincoln collection in America.

Leaders in education, history, libraries and governmentincluding the Librarian of Congress and the Archivist of the United Statespraised the 21,000-square-foot addition. The facility contains a state-of-the-art museum chronicling Grants life and his significance in American history. With hundreds of thousands of historical documents and items housed on-site, the new addition positioned MSU as a leading destination for research on the Civil War and two presidents who shaped the course of American history.

Dean Colemans legacy will be that of a dedicated administrator who gave her all to advance Mississippi State University and to exhibit grace, charm, and sincere hospitality in using the librarys formidable assets to bring new friends to the university, said Keenum.

For more on MSU Libraries, visit http://lib.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

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Legendary MSU Dean Frances Coleman retires after a 51-year career that transformed the university's libraries and collections - Mississippi State...

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Every century the world will witness a major pandemic. Most active clinicians and researchers alike only have knowledge of the Spanish flu pandemic from medical history. At that time, the exact viral cause of the disease was not known, and neither was there a therapy nor a vaccine. Today, 102 years later, SARS-CoV-2 has infected millions of patients all over the world, with over 400,000 deaths at the time of writing. Pneumonia has interviewed Frank van Kuppeveld and Berend Jan Bosch from Utrecht University, and Manish Sagar at Boston University School of Medicine, to hear their views on the cause and consequences, the present and the future of this new corona virus, SARS-CoV-2.

BJB: Currently there are 4 circulating coronaviruses in humans. They cause common colds and (therefore) never received much attention from the medical community.

FK: A typical illustration for this statement is that 2 of the circulating corona viruses, NL63 and HKU1, were only identified after the outbreak of SARS-CoV-1.

BJB: In the veterinary world (pigs, chickens, cows, cats) corona viruses are more serious pathogens, and therefore have been studied more extensively. An older brother of SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in China in 2003 was SARS-CoV, an example of a zoonotic virus which has jumped to humans and subsequently it spread from human to human. MERS-CoV mainly spreads among dromedaries, and occasionally crosses the species barrier to humans. However, the spread of this virus among humans is limited. Case fatality rate of SARS-CoV-1 is 10%; for MERS the reported 35% case-fatality rate is probably over-estimated, because many more people will have been infected. The seroprevalence of MERS antibodies in Saudi Arabia suggests that the virus is more widespread.

Current epidemiological data for SARS-CoV-2 are still relatively scarce but could point towards a case fatality rate of 1%. Another difference between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 is that the former mainly spreads during the moment of active disease and only the latter can be spread by presymptomatic persons. Nosocomial spread of SARS-CoV-1 has been limited.

FK: SARS-CoV-1 and MERS mainly infect the cells in the lower respiratory tract, whereas SARS-CoV-2 (also) infects the upper respiratory tract. This characteristic contributes to the ease of spreading. SARS-CoV-2s stronger binding to the ACE-2 receptor (although this is still debated) is another difference. There are additional differences in the structure of the Spike protein.

MS: As mentioned earlier, SARS-CoV-2 shares some similarities and has some significant differences with the other pathogenic coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-1, MERS, HKU-1, OC43, NL63, and 229E. First, it should be noted that SARS-CoV-2 has achieved a sweet spot for a virus. Unlike SARS-CoV-1 and MERS, after establishing infection, it does not immediately make the host sick.

Furthermore, unlike SARS-CoV-1 and MERS, it does not make the infected person deathly ill. The case fatality rate for SARS-CoV-2 is much lower than SARS-CoV-1 and MERS. This is ideal for the virus because it increases transmission efficiency. Unlike the common cold coronaviruses (OC43, NL63, 229E, and HKU-1), it is more lethal and thus has had and will have a major impact on human populations. SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 cellular receptor for cell entry, and SARS-CoV-1 and NL63 also use this receptor. This suggests that cellular entry and presumably tropism is not the primary distinguishing factor among these viruses.

The highly pathogenic coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS) all appear to initiate an intense and possibly inappropriately delayed innate immune response, which may be directly correlated to the observed morbidity and mortality. The common cold coronaviruses may not induce a similar innate immune response. The mechanistic basis for this discrepancy remains uncertain, but it appears to be a major difference among the highly pathogenic versus more benign human coronaviruses.

FK: Furthermore there are major differences in the demographics of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 patients. SARS-CoV-1 patients were adults >25 years of age, around 60% women, and without specific preference for the elderly. The reason for this is unknown.

FK: This is a major and important question, for which the answers are still largely unknown. Indeed, most viral or bacterial pneumonia patients are hospitalized for on average 7 days. As compared to SARS-CoV-1 and influenza, SARS-CoV-2 also causes a severe cytokine storm. It has been suggested that a difference can be found in interferon response: SARS-CoV-1 is a potent inducer of mainly type 1 and 3; SARS-CoV-2 actively replicates in lung cells but hardly induces interferons. Another factor which may play a role is local vascular leakage and angioedema.

MS: I think one of the most enlightening studies for the possible mechanism for severe pneumonia is from investigators at Washington University in St. Louis. In mouse models, they demonstrated that in mice with an early innate immune response (primarily driven by monocytes and macrophages), there is limited lung pathology and morbidity. In contrast, mice that have a delayed innate immune response have high morbidity and lung damage. The lung damage is characterized by infiltration by activated monocytes and macrophages in the lung. Interestingly, this phenomenon appears to be different from other respiratory viruses, such as influenza.

Furthermore, this difference is not driven by a major difference in virus replication. The mechanistic basis for understanding why some infected people have a delayed and robust innate immune response many days after SARS-CoV-2 infection is one of the most interesting and likely useful research avenues. It will provide an important insight about the cause of severe pneumonia.

In mice, attenuating the innate immune response after infection appears to diminish morbidity and mortality. In humans also, use of immune modulators, such as IL-6 receptor and IL-1 receptor blockers, appears to provide benefit. GR: All in all, the (immuno)pathology of COVID-19 may have the characteristics of a Macrophage Activation Syndrome.

BJB: It is disappointing that many of the potential drugs (existing and developed) for which the hopes were high, now in practice show no (such as with hydroxychloroquine) or limited effectivity. Preliminary data indicate that Remdesivir reduces the duration of intensive care treatment from 15 to 11 days, but show little effect on mortality.

BJB: Like active vaccination, also passive immunization requires all 3 phases of clinical testing before it can be applied. Scaling is a major issue: administration of convalescent serum can turn out to be an effective treatment but certainly not for large groups of patients (read more here and here). Defined monoclonal antibodies against relevant epitopes could be used in selected patients, but not as preventive treatment for large populations.

MS: I dont see a massive role for passive vaccination. Given the massive number of infected and susceptible people, convalescent plasma as a generalized prophylaxis and treatment is not feasible. At this time, it is difficult to determine which plasma is appropriate for therapy and possibly treatment because there are no standardized measures for assessing neutralization potency. The costs and logistics associated with convalescent plasma make it unfeasible as a solution for the masses. Synthetic single, or a cocktail of, monoclonal antibodies are more feasible although still likely cost-prohibitive.

That said, understanding the impact of monoclonal antibodies and antibodies present in convalescent serum is very important. It will provide unique scientific insights for understanding antibody-based prevention and treatment. It can be used in specific cases, but it is not likely relevant as a mass treatment or prevention strategy.

BJB: It cannot be excluded that there is a certain degree of cross-reactivity between antibodies induced by circulating coronaviruses and the current SARS-CoV-2. Whether this would lead to relative protection or to a more serious disease is a question that can not be answered right now. Aminoacid homology of Spike proteins between circulating coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 is low. S1, the globular top domain of the Spike protein is highly variable and shows no antigenic cross-reactivity between the various coronaviruses; S2 is the stalk with a more conserved sequence. But even among the conserved S2 regions, thus far no antibodies have been found that bind to both alpha and beta coronaviruses.

MS: SARS-CoV-2 will most probably continue to infect the human population. First, there is a large portion of the human population that remains susceptible. It is estimated based on the R0, that around 66% of the human population would have to prior infection to obtain some form of herd immunity. Among the previously infected patients, I suspect that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to infect people. The SARS-CoV-2 spike will continue undergoing minor modifications that limit the neutralization capacity of pre-existing antibodies. With re-infection, however, I suspect that the disease course will be milder than previous disease. I base these predictions on evolution of influenza within human population.

FK: The target population for severe COVID-19 are the elderly. Two to five centuries ago, that target population was much smaller in size, and first exposure to the virus would have taken place at a younger age. NL63, like SARS-CoV-2 also an ACE2 receptor entering coronavirus, now is a common cold virus. Accessory viral genes which may determine the interaction with the immune system could play a role.

BJB: We have to keep in mind that we are dealing with a novel virus, which made its entry into an immunological nave population. Virgin soil epidemic is the term coined by Alfred W. Crosby for this situation. Over time this will change, also with development of herd immunity and exposure at an early age, with consequence for the pattern of morbidity and mortality. At the same time, this may impact the behavior of the virus. For 229E coronavirus, mutations hotspots are found in the spike protein domains which are essential for viral entry into the cell.

FK: The only criterion for viral evolution is the degree of spreading, and SARS-CoV-2 has been extremely successful in that respect.

MS: I suspect that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to infect human populations because it has established a strong foothold. As already stated earlier, I think we will have seasonal infections but re-infections in previously infected hosts will lead to a milder clinical syndrome. It is hard to know if SARS-CoV-2 will have similar benign phenotype as the common coronaviruses in the next 50 years or longer.

Prof. Frank van Kuppeveld is Professor of Molecular Virology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University in Utrecht, The Netherlands. His research focuses on the method of replication of RNA viruses in host cells. Specifically, he studies how these viruses are able to hijack certain cellular factors and structures in order to replicate their RNA genome. He also researches how these viruses are able to suppress the cells antiviral resistance mechanisms. His current research focuses on 1) virus structure, receptors and entry mechanisms, 2) viral genome replication, 3) development of antiviral drugs, and 4) innate host responses and viral countermeasures.

Dr. Berend-Jan Bosch is Associate Professor of Molecular Coronavirology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. He studies coronaviruses: a group of viruses that may occasionally switch host species and can jump from mammals or birds to humans. Bosch is currently researching an antibody that blocks infection by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in cells. Bosch is trying to comprehend the interaction between coronaviruses and their hosts, be they animals or humans. How do viruses infect their hosts? How do viruses avoid their hosts immune responses? How do viruses jump from animals to humans and cause disease? With a detailed understanding, it will become possible to develop drugs and vaccines.

Dr. Manish Sagar is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. His laboratory is interested in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in particular to understand the biological mechanisms for the selection observed during HIV-1 transmission.Laboratory studies explore the hypothesis that during transmission there is selection of specific variants with properties that confer fitness for transmission. Another focus in the lab is to decipher correlates of immune protection. Dr. Sagar has served on numerous committees including NIH study sections and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Early Career Development Award Review Committee. He is an active member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

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The more neurotic and anxious cat owners are, the more trust and affection they have for their cat, researchers say.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have many people feeling anxious. But if you happen to own a cat, they may be benefiting from your anxiety.

Our study finds that anxiousness may be a positive trait to have because it is associated with trust and affection for a cat, coauthor Mikel Delgado, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

a tendency toward negative emotions will affect any relationship, including a relationship with a cat.

Delgado and coauthor Gretchen Reevy, a psychologist with California State University, East Bay, conducted an online, anonymous survey of 1,239 cat owners. Of the participants, 87% were female. The survey asked questions about how worthy people felt of their cats love, how available and trustworthy they felt their cat was, and their general feelings of affection toward their cat.

While higher scores on neuroticism and anxiety could benefit a relationship with ones cat, the study shows that higher scores on most negative emotions, especially depression, were related to feeling less worthy of their cats love. Previous studies have found similar results in romantic relationships and friendships.

If you are prone to depression, youre seeing everything through that lens, Delgado says. This shows that a tendency toward negative emotions will affect any relationship, including a relationship with a cat.

In contrast, the way in which negative emotions influenced feelings of trust in a relationship depended on whether the relationship was with a human or cat. In human relationships, depression decreased the feeling that a friend or partner was trustworthy.

Anger decreased the feeling that a cat was trustworthy, and anxiety increased the feeling.

Delgado says she embarked on the study to understand what can help people have a better bond with their pet. A lot of that can be influenced by human behavior.

While were sheltering at home during coronavirus, our cats may be our sole companions. Theyre important to our lives, she says. But problems with the human-cat relationship put cats at risk for ending up in animal shelters.

Reevy says its important to understand that our personalities can affect how we bond with our pets.

Cats can be wonderful companions and sources of comfort, and it looks like a persons personality affects their tendency to appreciate, enjoy, and hopefully benefit emotionally from a relationship with a cat, Reevy says.

The authors are currently comparing peoples romantic relationships with their relationships with their cat. People interested in participating in the study can click here to learn more.

The study appears in the journal Anthrozos. Support for the research came from Maddies Fund.

Source: UC Davis

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A team of researchers in the UK has discovered that some individuals of the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), particularly those affected by myocardial fibrosis, have a rare small bone called os cordis in their heart.

High-resolution microCT image of the chimpanzees os cordis. Image credit: Moitti et al, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66345-7.

The presence of an os cordis is a regular finding in large ruminants such as cattle, ox, water buffalos and sheep. Otters and camels sometimes have this bone too. But this is the first time that the os cordis has been discovered in a great ape.

Cartilage (cartilago cordis) can also be present within the cardiac skeleton of individuals of other animal species such as horses, pigs, dogs, cats, mice, rats, snakes, white rhinoceros and Syrian hamsters.

Although the exact localization, size and number of the os cordis varies, in all species it lies within a band of fibrous tissue called trigonum fibrosum.

Its function is unclear but it is believed to serve as a pivot and anchoring support for the heart valves.

The discovery of a new bone in a new species is a rare event, especially in chimps which have such similar anatomy to people, said studys senior author Dr. Catrin Rutland, a researcher in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham.

It raises the question as to whether some people could have an os cordis too.

Dr. Rutland and colleagues compared the structure and morphology of 16 hearts from chimpanzees which were either healthy or affected by myocardial fibrosis, a type of heart disease found in chimps and people.

To study the organs, the researchers used X-ray microtomography (microCT), a non-destructive X-ray imaging technique that produces 3D images from 2D trans-axial projections.

They found the os cordis bones, measuring a few millimeters in size, and cartilago cordis in four hearts. Their presence was not associated with age nor with sex.

Looking for ways to help chimps with heart disease is essential, said first author Dr. Sophie Moitti, from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham and Twycross Zoo.

Understanding what is happening to their hearts helps us manage their health.

This research has brought together researchers and veterinary professionals, working on a common aim to advance chimpanzee health and conservation, Dr. Rutland said.

The discovery is described in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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S. Moitti et al. 2020. Discovery of os cordis in the cardiac skeleton of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Sci Rep 10, 9417; doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66345-7

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Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Jos Arce is one of the first natives of the U.S. commonwealth to serve on the AVMA Board of Directors. He will achieve another first this summer when the AVMA House of Delegates elects him as the 2020-21 president-elect and next in line for the AVMA presidency. He is the sole candidate for the office of president-elect and will succeed Dr. Douglas Kratt as AVMA president in 2021.

A 1997 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Arce is president and co-owner of Miramar Animal Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His wife, Dr. Anik Puig, is also a veterinarian.

Dr. Arce was a member of the HOD from 2000 until joining the AVMA Board in 2014. He recently talked to JAVMA News about what he hopes to accomplish as AVMA president. The following answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

A. I have been an active participant in organized veterinary medicine for the past 26 years, holding numerous leadership positions in the Student AVMA throughout my years in veterinary school and later at the state level in the Puerto Rico VMA and nationally both in the AVMA House and on the AVMA Board.

In my capacity as District IV director on the Board, I have served or continue to serve as liaison to a long list of councils, committees, advisory panels, and AVMA trusts; as chair of the Committee on International Veterinary Affairs; and on the American Veterinary Medical Foundation board of directors.

These experiences, together with my diverse background, have given me a unique perspective and in-depth knowledge of the AVMA and the issues facing the veterinary profession. Additionally, they have taught me to be an inclusive, forward-thinking, and strategic leader.

I will do my best to lead by example, and hopefully my presidency will send a message of inclusiveness and inspire other minorities to become involved in organized veterinary medicine.

Dr. Jos Arce, candidate for 2020-21 AVMA president-elect

Veterinary medicine has provided me many opportunities to meet veterinarians from all corners of the world, with whom I have had profound conversations regarding our profession. These experiences and interactions have prepared me to become an effective AVMA president and to carry the torch of my predecessors in protecting, promoting, and advancing veterinary medicine.

A strong veterinary profession needs a strong AVMA, and as president, I will be committed to working in conjunction with our leadership, our volunteers, and the AVMA staff to optimize the way we serve our members in order to make a difference in the lives of present and future veterinarians.

A. Growing up, my father was involved in organized medicine and served in the Puerto Rico Medical Association and in the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association, so it was natural for me to become involved in organized veterinary medicine. During my first year as District IV director on the AVMA Board, we worked on the new AVMA branding and the tag line: Our Passion. Our Profession.

It might sound corny, but thats exactly how I feel about veterinary medicine. I am truly passionate about our profession, and I cherish every opportunity to educate, promote, and advocate for our profession, whether it is in a kindergarten classroom or with members of the U.S. Congress.

A. I am extremely proud of my Puerto Rican and Spanish roots; they are an intricate part of who I am and my perspective towards all things in life. Becoming a Hispanic and minority president of AVMA will be an honor, but it also comes with some responsibility. I will do my best to lead by example, and hopefully my presidency will send a message of inclusiveness and inspire other minorities to become involved in organized veterinary medicine. The AVMA must continue to strive for greater diversity and inclusiveness as it gives strength to our voice as advocates for veterinary medicine. It is also imperative that we promote veterinary medicine as a suitable career choice for underrepresented groups, both in ethnicity and type of practice.

A. The president of AVMA must be an effective communicator, not just a promoter of our Association. When I first served on the AVMA House of Delegates almost two decades ago, I would frequently give my thoughts and opinions at our meetings about the issues at hand. With time, I have become an active listenerdeferring judgement, providing feedback as needed, and responding appropriately and respectfully.

The AVMA president must be a respected voice for the profession and be able to represent AVMA and the veterinary profession, not just to our members but also to government, industry, international veterinary associations, and the public. I truly believe that I have earned that respect of others through my hard work and commitment to the AVMA for the past 26 years.

Personally, I see myself as creative, empathetic, adaptable, positive, and optimistic. I also have a great sense of humor, which helps me connect with others.

A. As a member of the Board, I participated in the difficult decision to cancel AVMA Convention 2020. It was a sad decision for us because we knew we would not be able to experience and celebrate the events of convention together with our colleagues. We also knew that canceling convention was the right decision and the only way to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all our convention participants.

Now, AVMA Convention 2020, the HOD summer session, and the election of officers will be held virtually instead of in person in San Diego.

We know of several state and international veterinary meetings that have been canceled or postponed until 2021. We do not yet know how long the COVID-19 pandemic will last, whether there will be a second wave in the fall and a third next spring, when a vaccine will be available, and how long travel restrictions, quarantines, and social distancing rules will continue to be in effect. All these factors will play a role in deciding if we will be able to begin holding small, in-person meetings in the early fall and hopefully larger gatherings such as the AVMA Economic Summit later in the year.

So, yes, COVID-19 will have an effect on my year as president-elect, as several of the meetings that officers would have attended have been or will probably be canceled or held virtually.

As leaders of this Association, we have an opportunity to become our most innovative, adaptive, and resilient selves in facing all the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic throws at us and making decisions that will be in the best interests of our members.

I take my hat off to the AVMA staff for working tirelessly in order to provide factual, up-to-the-minute information and resources to assist veterinarians in providing services during the present pandemic and supporting their well-being during this time of uncertainty and distress.

A. AVMA members should look forward to a president who is passionate and deeply committed to our profession, and who assumes a leadership role in facing the problems that affect veterinary medicine.

They should expect a president addressing news media frequently and communicating to the public the importance and value of veterinary medicine in enhancing peoples lives, and how the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial relationship between animals and people.

They should also expect a president who focuses on effectively communicating the benefits and values of the AVMA to our members, as well as improve the internal communication between AVMA leadership and staff, and our volunteers on councils and committees.

AVMA members should anticipate a president who is a team player and who will work in collaboration with the Board and House to build consensus and promote a culture of unity; who is not afraid to speak his mind, but who, at the same time, is an active listener, and is willing to change his mind.

A. Veterinary medicine continues to face daunting economic challenges and societal demands. High educational debt, income concerns such as low starting salaries, scope-of-practice issues, an unfavorable work-life balance, and uncertainty about retirement all contribute to wellness issues within our profession.

At the global leveland because the interconnections among animals, people, and the environment have become more significant and impactful than everwe are facing new challenges. The present pandemic is a perfect example of that.

At the same time, we need to address and take advantage of new and developing technologies that are affecting the practice of veterinary medicine such as telehealth, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, biosensors, and the proper use of mobile medical devices. These innovative technologies are developing and evolving rapidly. We must quickly adapt to these changes to remain relevant, while maintaining the integrity of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship and understanding how all of these things impact the standard of care.

As they say, with challenge comes opportunity. The present pandemic is a perfect example of that. The AVMA, state VMAs, and veterinarians nationally and worldwide have been at the forefront, helping educate the public about SARS-CoV-2. Several veterinary schools are conducting studies on SARS-CoV-2, some are developing vaccines against the novel coronavirus, and some are assisting state governments in testing humans for the COVID-19 virus. All this work shows how veterinary medicine can bring unique value to biomedical research and public health. This pandemic has also demonstrated the need for the implementation of one-health practices and measures to improve the response to and reduce the emergence of pandemic viruses.

A. The AVMA should prominently communicate the values of our profession and educate the public about all aspects of veterinary medicine, and our leaders and volunteers at all levels should constantly promote and advocate for our profession through the traditional news media outlets and social media.

We must work together to foster an environment that promotes the mental health, emotional well-being, and personal happiness of our members, both at work and at home.

The AVMA must also be a global leader in one health and contribute to the development of policies and guidelines in all aspects of veterinary medicine. We must cultivate relationships and work in unison with other global veterinary associations and intergovernmental entities to support public health, animal health, and welfare around the world.

A. I would like to be remembered as a strong leader who represented our members and advocated for our profession well and inspired others to do the same; and who left behind an AVMA that is better prepared to meet the needs of society while protecting, promoting, and advancing a unified veterinary profession.

A. I am a strong advocate of the concept of the AVMA family, and if elected president, as the primary spokesperson of the AVMA, I will take this message of the AVMA family everywhere I go. Whether it is the House of Delegates and all the state VMAs and allied groups that are part of it, the Board, AVMF, AVMA Political Action Committee, SAVMA, and now Veterinary Medical Association Executives and National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, we need to strategically work in unison to be a more effective organization.

Correction: This article incorrectly identified the Puerto Rico VMA board in Dr. Jos Arces response to, What skills and qualifications do you bring to the office? Dr. Arce was talking about his nearly 20 years of service in the AVMA House of Delegates.

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LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) The following is a news release from Texas Tech University:

Building a new veterinary program requires a great team. Not surprisingly, behind the development of theTexas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillowas collaborative team from across the breadth of theTexas Tech University System. Each team member used their expertise to inform the argument of the need for and the shape of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Any good team is an inclusive one in which its members know the game plan and how to contribute their expertise toward achieving the goal. For success, the team needed diverse expertise that extended well beyond veterinary medical education. For success, the school needed truly outstanding expertise in the economics of veterinary education and the veterinary profession. It just so happened that Texas Tech has that expert, and he answered the call in 2015.

At that time, Ryan Williams was a professor of economics in theTexas Tech UniversityCollege of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources(CASNR). He led the economic analysis of the veterinary educational and professional need for Texas Tech to start the School of Veterinary Medicine, which was presented to theTexas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Our school is the success it is because of Ryan, saidGuy Loneragan, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Five years ago, Ryan stepped into a meeting in the Chancellors conference room with his shirt untucked and threw his all into the project. When it comes to the School of Veterinary Medicine, he has so much skin in the game, so to speak. Ryan helped shape the school. I am just so excited he joined the school as we look forward to welcoming the first class in the fall of 2021. It is a privilege to work with someone like Ryan. He typifies the values we hold dear.

Williams is now one of the founding faculty members of the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine as an associate professor of economics and public policy. He began his duties on June 1.

The more I evaluated the data, the more convinced I became that if the citizenry of Texas are supporting the education of veterinarians for the good of the people, then a new school with a different approach to training was warranted, Williams said. Having had the opportunity to be involved with the development of this school from very early in the process, I am thrilled to continue serving the mission the School of Veterinary Medicine represents for Texas Tech University and the state of Texas. I am dedicated to ensuring that, as the school grows, we remain committed to a culture that prioritizes the success of our students and their commitment to community.

Williams has spent the last nine years in theDepartment of Agricultural and Applied Economics, the last four years with a joint appointment with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research agency in Lubbock. His research has involved water resources and rural communities and the application of natural resource and environmental economic methodologies to One Health research.

His interest in veterinary medicine stems from when he provided consulting services to the American Veterinary Medical Association. He is interested in investigating the market structure for various veterinary clinic types and exploring consumer demand for veterinary services and the goods and services supported by veterinary services in their supply chains.

Williams, a native of northern California, earned his bachelors degree from Emory University and his masters degree from North Carolina State University before earning his doctorate ineconomicsfrom Texas Tech and joining the faculty as a visiting assistant professor in 2009. He also has worked as a financial consultant for Bank of America.

At the end of the day, veterinary medicine is a business just like other medical health professions, saidJohn Dascanio, senior associate dean for academic and student affairs. It is extremely important that students understand both personal financial decisions and also that financial decisions within a veterinary practice may affect their ability to practice medicine. The effects of the global economy on veterinary clientele often times dictate medical decisions. Dr. Williams will help to lead our program to integrate financial and economic decision making throughout our program.

Williams becomes the 14th faculty member for the School of Veterinary Medicine. He joins Loneragan, Dascanio, associate dean for clinical programsBritt Conklin, professor of surgeryDavid Dutton, assistant professor of general veterinary practiceBethany Schilling, professor of medicineLszl Hunyadi, professor of surgeryNancy Zimmerman, visiting professorJerry Black, associate professor of Library and Information SciencesHoward Rodriguez-Mori, assistant professor of curriculum and assessmentMarcelo Schmidt, associate professor of microbiologyJason Fritzler, assistant professor for microbiologyAlexandra Calleand associate professor of anatomyJoshua Roweon the faculty for the School of Veterinary Medicine. Additional faculty members will be added over the summer and fall.

Thanks to the generosity of Amarillo and communities across Texas, and the commitment of legislators from around the state, the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo, established in 2018, is working to enroll its first class in the fall of 2021, pending approval by the AVMA Council on Education.

The School of Veterinary Medicine will recruit and select students with a passion to practice and succeed in rural and regional communities. Its curriculum is focused on the competencies and skills necessary for success in practices that support these communities. Texas Techs innovative and cost-efficient model partners with the wider community of veterinary practices across the state to provide clinical, real-world experiential learning.

In June 2019,Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the biennial state budget, which appropriated $17.35 million for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillothat will go toward operational needs in order to get the school up and running. The appropriation included language directing Texas Tech to move forward in establishing the school.

(News release from Texas Tech University)

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Economics and public policy expert joins Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine - KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com

The virus that causes COVID-19 had infected nearly 5 million people around the world and killed about 322,000 as of late May. The virus has left no area untouched, including the veterinary profession. The following stories represent just two of the people who have died during this pandemic. Their obituaries can be found in this issue.

Dr. Peter Sakas (Illinois 83), a staff veterinarian at the Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center in Niles, Illinois, died on March 30 of COVID-19. In his work, he focused on wildlife veterinary medicine. Those who knew him say he was charismatic, had a big personality, and cared deeply for his clients and their animals.

He had such a loyal following that there were clients who would drive in several hours from out of state just to see him for an appointment, said his daughter, Courtney Sakas, MD. My uncle recently shared a story that Elizabeth Taylor once sent her bird in a limousine to my fathers clinic to be seen by him.

Dr. Courtney Sakas said her father was an active member of the veterinary community. He traveled frequently to conferences, veterinary colleges, and local elementary schools. He had high school students shadow him on Saturdays so they could learn about veterinary medicine firsthand.

Dr. Peter Sakas specialized in avian veterinary medicine. In fact, birds were the whole reason he became a veterinarian. Dr. Sakas found a small, injured bird when he was young and tried to nurture it back to health.

He carried that same compassion through his entire career, Dr. Courtney Sakas said. He often took on cases that others would consider hopeless because he firmly believed that all animals have souls and deserve to be given a chance.

Dr. Peter Sakas even wrote a book on how to care for birds, Essentials of Avian Medicine: A Guide for Practitioners.

Dr. Sakas had no plans to retire. He wanted to keep working. Then he started showing symptoms March 20.

There has been a lot of attention on human health care front-line workers, but I think people often forget that veterinarians are front-line health care workers too, Dr. Courtney Sakas said. My father told us that he was never going to retire because he loved his job so much. I knew he was going to continue working as long as he possibly could to keep caring for the clients and animals he loved, even if it meant putting himself at risk.

Dr. Julie R. Butler (Cornell 83), founder of 145th Street Animal Hospital in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, died on April 4.

She was the only black person in her class, an experience she described as bittersweet, according to her sister, Sheila Butler, MD.

In her professional life, Dr. Julie Butler was the kind of veterinarian who never turned away an animal.

Dr. Butler co-founded New York Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance for pets that need emergency care. She also served as president of the VMA of New York City. She spent over 30 years serving the Harlem community, and she used her experience to educate and mentor other veterinary professionals.Dr. Butler was a lifelong student. She loved to expand her knowledge both in veterinary medicine and as an artist.

It was amazing to see how fast she could acquire a new skill, said Alex Howard, a chef and Dr. Butlers son. She was even beginning to master Thai cooking. We experimented a lot and created a lot of great meals together.

Dr. Butler also created felt sculptures, designed clothing, made jewelry, and made an excellent lemon meringue pie.

For Thanksgiving and New Years Day, everybody would wait for the pie to be done so they could enjoy it or maybe even take some home, Howard said.

Kylie Lang, a veterinary technician, said Dr. Butler was a role model who made work enjoyable.

Dr. Butler was the kind of veterinarian who cared a great deal about her work and (its) impact on others, she said.

Lang said Dr. Butler was outspoken and humorous.

She displayed a rare confidence that took comfort in the unknown, said Zachary Butler-Jones, her nephew and a veterinary technician. She would reference necessary texts, make a game plan, and follow through with the procedure, even if she never did it before. That confidence would never spill into arrogance, though, and she made sure to always have her ducks in row when it came to her patients.

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Remembering veterinarians who have died during the pandemic - American Veterinary Medical Association

Veterinary researchers continue to investigate the COVID-19 virus in animals and how the virus interacts between humans and animals.

The study Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and other domesticated animals to SARScoronavirus 2 was conducted by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin Veterinary Institute.

The findings, which were published May 29 in the journal Science, showed that SARS-CoV-2 infects the upper respiratory tract of ferrets but is poorly transmissible between individuals. In cats, the virus replicated in the nose and throat and caused inflammatory changes deeper in the respiratory tract. In addition, airborne transmission occurred between pairs of cats under the experimental conditions. Dogs appeared not to support viral replication well and had low susceptibility to the virus, and pigs, chickens, and ducks were not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

Also, in May, scientists in the U.S. and Japan reported that cats in a laboratory setting can readily become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and may be able to pass the virus to other cats.

Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, professor of pathobiological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, led the study, published May 13 as a letter to the editor in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers obtained a SARS-CoV-2 isolate from a human patient and used it to generate a high dose of purified virus, which they then directly inoculated in the nasal cavity, trachea, and eyes of each of three cats. The following day, the researchers swabbed the nasal passages of the cats and were able to detect the virus in two of the animals. Within three days, the researchers detected the virus in all of the cats.

The day after the researchers administered the virus, they placed another cat that hadnt been administered SARS-CoV-2 virus in each of the first three cats cages.

Each day, the researchers collected nasal and rectal swab samples from all six cats to assess them for the presence of the virus. Within six days, all of the cats were shedding virus. However, none of the rectal swab samples contained virus.

Each cat shed SARS-CoV-2 from its nasal passages for up to six days. None of the cats showed signs of illness, and all of the cats ultimately cleared the virus.

That was a major finding for usthe cats did not have symptoms, said Dr. Kawaoka. He is also helping lead an effort to create a human COVID-19 vaccine.

In another investigation, pet owners who bring their animals to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University can choose to participate in the Coronavirus Epidemiological Research and Surveillance study.

Pets of consenting owners will have nasal and oral swab samples collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2. The study is also seeking area pet owners to test their animals at home. Volunteers receive a kit and are asked to collect swab samples over a two-week period and return them to the university.

A very small number of animals have tested positive for the virus, so even one presumptive-positive result would provide invaluable information, according to Kaitlin Sawatzki, PhD, animal surveillance coordinator for the study.

The more we know what a virus looks like that can hop species, the better the chances of preventing it, said Dr. Sawatzki, a postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Jonathan A. Runstadler at the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings.

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Researchers focus on COVID-19 virus in animals | American Veterinary Medical Association - American Veterinary Medical Association

Global Veterinary Medicine Industry Market Report Renders deep perception of the Market Segment by Regions, market status of the Veterinary Medicine Industry on a global level that primarily aims the core regions which comprises of continents like North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and top manufacturer.

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COVID-19, the disease it causes, surfaced in late 2020, and now had become a full-blown crisis worldwide. Over fifty key countries had declared a national emergency to combat coronavirus. With cases spreading, and the epicentre of the outbreak shifting to Europe, North America, India and Latin America, life in these regions has been upended the way it had been in Asia earlier in the developing crisis. As the coronavirus pandemic has worsened, the entertainment industry has been upended along with most every other facet of life. As experts work toward a better understanding, the world shudders in fear of the unknown, a worry that has rocked global financial markets, leading to daily volatility in the U.S. stock markets.

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Veterinary Medicine Market Size 2020: by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application - Cole of Duty

Its past 6 on a summer evening, and veterinarian Andy Cooke is consulting with a woman in the parking lot of his practice in Troy, in the shadow of a majestic view of Mount Monadnock.

Hes giving her instructions about her pet, which hes just examined inside his clinic; theyre outside because of restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. A member of his staff brings the dog out to her car, and it dances with joy, eagerly leaping into the back seat.

Its the end of another workday for the 58-year-old Cooke, who opened his practice in 1998 and sees as many as 30 to 40 pets almost all dogs and cats a day. In addition to treating the animals, he instructs, teaches, calms and sometimes consoles their owners.

Veterinary medicine is not all puppies and kittens; there are a lot of hard choices to make, he says. But Im fortunate to do this. I love what I do. Im never bored.

Born in Rochester, N.Y., and raised in Ithaca, Cooke is the youngest of six children, three boys and three girls. Their father, William, was a car dealer, selling Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles.

Cooke came to love animals at a young age because his best friend Ted Foxs father, Francis, was the head of the large-animal department at the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca. Francis Fox also had his own practice working with farm animals.

We went on calls with his dad starting in about 3rd grade, and us boys would just play around like boys do. But by the 6th grade, I started to really watch him and thought that it was a great way to make a living.

Dr. Fox turned out to be a significant influence and a mentor.

My father died when I was 11 years old from colon cancer, and theres no question that he filled a void in my life, Cooke recalls.

He was a strong, stout man with forearms like Popeye, he continues. He was a smart farm kid who went to ag school and then to vet school. He developed the vaccine that treated whats called bovine viral diarrhea, and now every cow in the world receives it.

Cooke says that at the end of each call, as Fox was driving away, the veterinarian would yell to the farmer: Keep em healthy, now! Thats the derivation of the name of Cookes practice on Route 12: Keep em Healthy.

He and Ted both developed a love of animals.

We had every manner of animal, but kept them at Teds house. Waterfowl of all kinds, pigeons, goats, hawks, even a llama with one eye that had been abandoned by a traveling fair, he says. We were the kids that everyone knew would take in an animal.

Ted Fox, incidentally, became an ornithologist and is now director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y. Dr. Francis Fox died at age 92 in 2015.

After high school, Cooke enrolled at Cornell, where he graduated with a degree in animal sciences. Next was Tufts University outside Boston, where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He describes his tutelage under Fox as a tremendous help during his veterinary education.

His first job was at an equine practice in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., treating and breeding thoroughbred horses at the famed Saratoga Race Track, which opened in 1863 and is the third oldest in the country.

The work was fun and challenging, he says, but extremely hard, both physically and mentally.

I worked 24/7, and one day I pulled out of a gas station with the pump handle still in my car, and I realized I was working too hard. Incidentally, there wasnt an intact marriage in the group.

Cooke was single at the time and had been at that practice for three years.

A colleague tipped him off to a job opportunity at Cheshire Animal Hospital in Keene, headed by Dr. Lee Pearson. He began there in 1993 and then opened his own practice, in Troy, in 1998. In 2017, he built a new 14,000-square-foot clinic next to his old building, and now employs a staff of 12.

Although he began as a mixed practice, treating both large animals on farms and also pets, he switched to a pets-only practice 10 years ago.

As a single practitioner, I just couldnt do both, he says.

Cooke says veterinary medicine can be especially difficult for a very obvious reason the patient cannot vocalize its problems. We share that with pediatricians, he notes.

You use your eyes, nose, your hands, you look for the subtle signs. You look at the animal, he says, explaining that it takes a significant amount of experience and intuition.

You must meet them where they stand, and listen to them. They will tell you if theyre scared, or hurt, or mad. You have to know the signals. Thats what Im good at, knowing people and knowing animals. Know what you know, and know what youre good at, and bring energy to the situation.

Treating animals also involves quite a bit of medical detective work, he says.

Ive been doing this for 31 years, and I still get stumped. You cant take any case for granted.

Its also crucial to work with pet owners, he emphasizes, and listen carefully to what theyre saying about the animal.

The human-animal bond is very strong; pets are members of the family, he says. Now that there is so much more isolation in society, we rely on animals to provide the closeness we need.

As for how the role of pets has changed over the years, he describes the intimacy as having evolved from the barn to the porch to the bedroom.

Inevitably, though, in many cases, a pet must be euthanized.

We take an oath to alleviate suffering, he says. There comes a time when you have to let them go; all the kings horses and all the kings men cant do anything for them.

Cooke is, naturally, a pet owner himself. He has two dogs: Kai, a Rhodesian ridgeback; and Bailey, a long-haired Jack Russell terrier. He also has Briar Rose, a domestic short-hair cat, and a rabbit named Mr. Fuzziwig.

When hes not tending to veterinary medicine, which may take up to 70 hours a week, Cooke is an avid singer, a member of the Cheshiremen and Junction 135 barbershop quartets. He is also involved and performs with the Raylynmor Opera of Peterborough and Small Time Productions in Marlborough. Cooke also sang in elementary and high school and was in the mens a capella group at Cornell.

He met his wife, Pam, while both were performing in the Keene Lions Club presentation of Guys and Dolls in 1996. The two married in 1998 and have a daughter, Frances, who is a junior at the University of New Hampshire.

Music permeated the Cooke household in Ithaca. We were a knockoff of the von Trapp family, he quips. We all sang.

His mother, Mary, had trained as a singer and even had the opportunity to perform with Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians, a famous band from the 1920s through the 1940s.

Instead, she fell in love and had six children, he says.

Both his mother and father were tall, his dad at 65, his mother standing at 511. Cooke is 62, and the shortest of the three boys in the family.

College roommates fixed them up because they were both tall, he says. His father graduated from Georgetown University and his mother from Trinity College in Washington, D.C.

Although he lost his father at a young age, Cooke remembers him well as a great guy.

He lied about his age to get in the Navy in World War II, he says, and served on a PT boat in the South Pacific.

He never said much about the war, Cooke says, but he recalls his father telling a story about a time he and his crewmates docked at a small island. While the rest of the men went into the jungle, his father stayed back with the boat to wash some laundry.

Suddenly, a Japanese soldier appeared, and my father thought that would be the end of him.

Instead, the soldier made a motion of two fingers to his lips, indicating he wanted a cigarette. My father laid down his pack of cigarettes and lighter, and the man picked them up and walked away.

With the early death of his father, Cookes oldest brother Will, only 21 at the time, took over management of his dads automobile dealership, the third generation of the family in the business. Their grandfather had also been a car dealer selling Model Ts in Rochester, N.Y.

Some people asked me, Why dont you just go sell cars? Cooke said. But I knew what I wanted to do work with animals.

Read more:
Drawing on intuition and an early influence, Andy Cooke helps keep pets healthy - The Keene Sentinel

Fourth-year veterinary student Austin Floyd examines Birdie

Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

When a beagle named Birdie arrived at theTexas A&M Small Animal Hospital (SAH)with an extremely low heart rate,Dr. Ashley Saundersknew that immediate action was necessary to save the dogs life.

As a veterinary cardiologist and professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), Saunders had seen Birdies symptoms many times.

Cases with arrhythmias, or slow, irregular heartbeats, come into the hospital on a weekly basis. If caught in time, the condition is typically fixed with a treatment that is routine to Saunders but often a surprise to the general public by implanting a pacemaker.

These surgeries are usually minimally invasive with a quick recovery time, but in Birdies case, it would take a team of specialists an entire night to heal her heart.

In May 2019, Birdies owner, Katherine McLeod, noticed that Birdie was acting sluggish and behaving abnormally.

It was really odd. It was like she was just cranky, McLeod said. Over the next couple days, she got pretty lethargic and acted like she didnt want to go outside or do anything. She was still eating and drinking, but she clearly didnt feel well.

McLeods local veterinarian in Waco discovered that Birdie had an abnormally slow heartbeat and recommended a medication for treatment. But the medicine only helped for a few days, so when the lethargy returned on a Saturday afternoon, McLeod knew that her best option was to bring Birdie to Texas A&M, where she entrusted Saunders with Birdies care.

Birdie had a really low heart rate called third-degree AV (atrioventricular) block, Saunders said. The middle part of the heart stopped working, so the top and bottom couldnt communicate well.

This miscommunication contributed to Birdies slow heartbeat, lethargy and overall unwell feeling.

Almost immediately after the diagnosis, Saunders,fourth-year veterinary student Amanda Tabone, and SAH staff began preparing to implant Birdies pacemaker.

Typically, you want to put a pacemaker in through the jugular vein in the neck, Saunders said. Thats the ideal way to do it. So, we took her back to do that, but the pacemaker electrically would not capture her heart. This can happen in rare cases, and we have to quickly adapt.

Saunders moved to the next option, which involved surgically screwing the pacemaker into Birdies heart through her chest. Thanks to help fromDr. Whitney Hinson, a small animal surgery resident, they finally got the pacemaker attached and working properly.

But because of the unexpected issues with the pacemaker, Birdie remained under anesthesia for longer than they initially planned and more complications began to arise.

We were in surgery into the middle of the night at that point, Saunders said. Dr. Bradley, the anesthesiologist, stayed with us the entire time, and we ended up having to spend even more time trying to get her to wake up after the surgical procedures because her lungs were slow to reinflate.

Dr. Ashley Saunders implanted a pacemaker in Birdies heart, breaking her heartrate back to a normal speed.

Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Finally, Birdie improved. By the next day, the pacemaker had brought Birdies heart rate back to normal speed and she was able to go home to Waco with her family.

Dr. Saunders called me that morning and said miracle of miracles, basically, McLeod said. She said, You can come get her. Shes doing great. You could tell in her voice that she was excited.

While Birdies case had several setbacks, pacemaker implants are typically much less complicated, according to Saunders. She sees pacemaker cases at least once a week, on average, for a variety of dog breeds and ages.

Everybody is always stunned when I say Im a veterinary cardiologist, Saunders said. People always say, What? People put pacemakers in their dogs? Yes, we can do that, and we do it a lot. That always surprises people.

For Saunders, being able to perform those life-changing procedures and getting to work with a variety of other SAH services in the process makes the high-stress career worth it.

People dont realize how high-stress it is to be a cardiologist because it feels like life and death all of the time, Saunders said. But in the moment, you have to keep thinking because you really have a patients life in your hands; you just have to keep problem solving until you get it.

Tabone was excited to have the opportunity to scrub in for surgery and help care for Birdie post-operatively, especially because of her love for Beagles.

I was the student on call the weekend Birdie came in, Tabone said, and I always joke that if Im going to get called in, I hope its a beagle, because I have an overwhelming attachment and love for this breed.

Tabone, who has three of her own beagles, fell in love with Birdie and was thankful to be involved in her case.

It was incredible to see the transition she made from being very gloomy to being excited and ready to go home with her family, she said. I was really lucky that I got called in for this case.

Birdies case was also meaningful for Tabone because it was her first clinical experience and her first opportunity to be hands-on in a surgical setting. When Birdie arrived at the hospital, Tabone and her fellow fourth-years had just begun their first week of clinical rotations.

Birdies mom mailed a letter to the teaching hospital, and Ill definitely keep it for my entire career, Tabone said. She had the most kind and sincere things to say about me and the work that Dr. Saunders did. I plan to have it framed in my office and when Im having a not-so-great day, I can read it and think of my experience with Birdie and her family. Itll forever be great motivation for my career.

Back in Waco, Birdie returned to her normal, active, friendly self within a week.

Anytime you want to take her on a walk, she gets all fired up about that. She loves her treats and all the different food that she gets, McLeod said. Shes great with Skittle (McLeods other beagle); theyre best buds and theyre very happy to be back hanging out together.

As a huge Baylor fan, McLeod had no experience with Texas A&M before Birdies procedure at the Small Animal Hospital, besides rooting against the Aggies on gameday.

It was funny. When we went to pick Birdie up, she had her maroon bandages on and what I like to call her Aggie haircut, because they had to shave parts of her, McLeod said. I said, What? Come on, man, no green and gold bandages? The hospital staff said, Hey, youre at A&M.

I said, You know what? Forever we will root for the Aggies unless theyre playing us, which is very unlikely these days, she said. But its funny now any time I watch football, I say, Im for A&M. Just for A&M.

Read more here:
Texas A&M Veterinarians Setting The Pace - Texas A&M University Today

Roberta OConnor

By Josh Babcock, College of Veterinary Medicine

A compound discovered in the gills of wood-eating clams could be the solution to a group of parasites responsible for some of the worlds most common infections.

That compound is tartrolon E, a byproduct of bacteria that help shipworms, a group of saltwater clams, digest the wood they eat.

According to research recently published in PLOS Pathogens, the compound, unlike any other, is proven to kill causal parasites for malaria, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, theileriosis and babesiosis.

There are compounds that work against the individual parasites, but to find one that works against this entire group, that is what made this unique, said Roberta OConnor, an associate professor in Washington State Universitys Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology unit, and first author on the paper.

While there are already effective drugs for many of the parasites mentioned here, OConnor said this group of parasites, called apicomplexans, readily develops drug resistance. Development of new, effective drugs against apicomplexan parasites is an ongoing need for human and veterinary medicine, she said.

One of those parasites in need of a more effective remedy is Cryptosporidium.

Cryptosporidium, a waterborne zoonotic parasite, is a major cause of diarrhea in children, immunocompromised patients, and in newborn animals worldwide. The parasite infects millions of humans and agricultural animals annually.

In addition to killing this class of parasites in vitro, tartrolon E was able to kill Cryptosporidium in newborn mice.

Beginning this summer, WSU researchers will test the compound against Cryptosporidium in lambs.

Currently, nitazoxanide is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat cryptosporidiosis.

Nitazoxanide doesnt work well for those [patients] who are immunocompromised or malnourished and those are the people most vulnerable to Cryptosporidium, OConnor said.

OConnor is the principal investigator on the study which will characterize the specific effects of tartrolon E on Cryptosporidium parasites. Villarino will lead the pharmacokinetics portion of the study in immunocompromised mice to further assess tartrolon Es effectiveness and optimal dose regimens.

The research is made possible by a recently awarded 5-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

We will define how the drug behaves in the body and how much of the drug is needed to control Cryptosporidiuminfection, Villarino said. We want the maximum effect with minimal adverse effects.

This aspect of the research on the compound is a key component for drug development.

This could have a significant impact on human and veterinary medicine because there is no other drug that can effectively treat this condition, Villarino said.

OConnor and Villarino are hopeful tartrolon E will lead to a clinically developed drug but they know it is a long way to get there.

Tartrolon E is obviously hitting some system that is common to [all] these parasites, OConnor said. Even if this compound isnt successful, if we can determine the mechanism, we will have identified a common drug target for all these parasites.

Here is the original post:
A compound unlike any other - WSU News

Since the first vaccine was invented in 1796, the practice of immunization has transformed how we view infectious diseases, taking many pathogenic invaders from being deadly threats to easily preventable maladies. For humans and animals alike, vaccines are important healthcare tools.

Dr. Leslie Easterwood, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says the equine strangles vaccine is one that is of particular importance for horse owners in protecting their animal.

Strangles is the common term for the bacterial respiratory disease caused by Streptococcus equi, subspecies equi, Easterwood said. Strangles infections most commonly present as an upper respiratory infection that primarily involves the lymph nodes in a horses jaw. Symptoms include high fevers, thick nasal discharge, depression, and a lack of appetite.

The bacteria that causes strangles in horses may sound familiar to their human owners; a cousin of this bacteria, called Streptococcus pyogenes, causes strep throat in people. Though these bacteria are genetically similar and cause upper respiratory symptoms in both species, horses with strangles cannot infect humans, and humans with strep throat cannot infect horses.

Strangles is spread via respiratory secretions from infected horses, Easterwood said. It is highly contagious from horse to horse and is pretty common.

Since strangles is easily transmitted between horses, vaccination is an important tool for minimizing the spread of this disease.

Although the disease rarely results in a fatality, it will make horses sick and can lead to loss of production, decreased performance, and quarantine, in some circumstances, Easterwood said. Vaccination does not provide complete protection, as with all vaccinations, but it can help to decrease the chance of contracting the disease in susceptible populations.

Since horses are often kept in groups grazing together at pasture, sharing pens, or neighbored in stalls contagious diseases can quickly work their way through a herd. As such, vaccination remains an essential tool for both individual and herd health.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to vaccinate an animal comes down to the owner, Easterwood says, although there might be situations during which a third party takes interest in a horses vaccination records.

There are no governmentally mandated vaccinations in horses, Easterwood said. Some boarding and breeding facilities will require vaccination to board at their location, but that is not a legal requirement.

Even if no legal requirement enforces the vaccination of horses, owners should still consider consulting with their veterinarian to determine what care is best for maintaining the health of their animal.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.

Originally posted here:
Pet talk: Reining in the facts on equine strangles - Marshall News Messenger