One Health

08 November

Governor Inslee proclaims November 3, 2019 One Health Day

wsvma   |   One Health

Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation for the State of Washington recognizing Nov. 3, 2019 as One Health Day. One Health Day provides an opportunity for experts and the community to join together in One Health education and awareness. The WSVMA has been collaborating for the past four years with the WA Dept. of Health, WA Dept. of Agriculture, Washington State University, University of Washington, human health professionals and environmental experts to address antimicrobial resistance in Washington State.   This year...

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31 October

Partnering for Dairy Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Conference for Farmers and Veterinarians in the West

wsvma   |   One Health

Newer and proposed guidance and regulations from the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) have focused attention on the role of the veterinarian to provide complete oversight of antimicrobial use in food animal production. The Veterinary Feed Directive addressed in-feed antimicrobials and severely restricted uses of these products. In September of 2019, the FDA announced proposed guidance on the use of over-the-counter drugs (OTC), eventually eliminating their use and requiring veterinary prescriptions for any antimicrobial. The state of California passed...

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16 August

Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria as Reportable Diseases: An Update

wsvma   |   One Health

Recently the University of Pennsylvania, Ryan Veterinary Teaching Hospital experienced an outbreak of an NDM-5 carbapenemase producing E. coli infections originating in the ICU.  One of the most significant types of gram negative resistance, it eliminates use of the carbapenem class, including imipenem and meropenem, a last line therapy in human medicine. In addition, this type of carbapenemase enzyme had not been reported in the USA in either human or veterinary medicine, which made it novel in this country.  Not...

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12 July

Pièce de Résistance – Infection Control

wsvma   |   One Health

Within the veterinary hospital environment, regular cleaning and disinfection of equipment and surfaces is critical for environmental control of pathogens. Implementation of an effective Hospital Infection Control Plan can significantly reduce peri-surgical and procedural antimicrobial use. For more information, consult the Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Veterinary Infection Control Committee Pièce de Résistance is a monthly message on antimicrobial stewardship brought to you by WSVMA’s...

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14 June

Pièce de Résistance – The real sCOOP on antibiotic use in poultry …why less is not always better

wsvma   |   One Health

Since the implementation of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) in January 2017, medical health professionals, veterinarians, producers, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders have been working together to promote judicious antibiotic use in food animals to prevent resistance. The poultry industry has been very proactive in this regard, and had already eliminated some medically important human antibiotics from their arsenal. However, “no antibiotics ever” or similar label claims can sometimes be misleading and detrimental to animal health and welfare. So what...

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12 April

Pièce de Résistance

wsvma   |   One Health

Multiple Drug Resistant Bacterial contamination or colonization of clinic personnel and or equipment, as well as cross-infection of patients within a veterinary hospital setting have been demonstrated. This underscores the importance of possible healthcare-associated infections in dogs and the need for diligent application of infection prevention strategies in veterinary care settings. Pièce de Résistance is a monthly message on antimicrobial stewardship brought to you by WSVMA’s One Health Workgroup.   Posted April 19, 2019...

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08 March

Pièce de Résistance

wsvma   |   One Health

Concerns about antimicrobial resistance most often focus on how we use antibiotics, but this is only one part of the challenge. Transmission factors can be even more important depending on the circumstances. For example, work in east Africa shows that antibiotic use, per se, provides no predictive value for having antimicrobial-resistant gut bacteria in people or animals. Instead, variables related to transmission of bacteria (e.g., consuming raw milk, sharing drinking water sources, bringing outside animals to the farm, etc.) are...

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08 February

Pièce de Résistance

wsvma   |   One Health

Do you believe there is unnecessary use of antimicrobials on any of your dairy clients’ farms? Over 80% of dairy veterinarians surveyed believed that there was some over-use of antimicrobials primarily with pre-weaned calves and cited “not following protocols” as a big reason. Looking at pre-weaned calf treatment protocols and reviewing compliance could help dairy clients with antimicrobial stewardship. Pièce de Résistance is a monthly message on antimicrobial stewardship brought to you by WSVMA’s One Health workgroup.   Posted February 8, 2019...

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11 January

Pièce de Résistance

wsvma   |   One Health

Antimicrobial Use in Food-Producing Animals – Farmers and Vets Recognized for Diligence in Use The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that domestic sales and distribution of all medically important antimicrobials intended for use in food-producing animals decreased by 33 percent between years 2016 and 2017. While sales data do not necessarily reflect actual antimicrobial use, the reduction in sales volume observed is an important indicator that ongoing efforts to support antimicrobial stewardship are having a significant impact. CVM’s...

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20 December

An opportunity to share your antibiotic knowledge

wsvma   |   One Health

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health issue, threatening both people and animals. The role of antibiotics in development of antibiotic resistance is largely unexplored in small animal medicine. The Colorado School of Public Health is launching a survey project focused on antibiotic use in small animal practice. Additionally, we are seeking veterinarians’ professional opinions on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship. This veterinary-led nationwide survey is the first of its kind in the United States, and results will aid in...

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