Veterinarians Fight the War on Terror

Veterinarians at home fight the war on terror. Ask anyone to describe the work of a veterinarian, and they’ll tell you he is a doctor in a white coat that heals sick puppies and cats and so forth, the gentle doctor.

But veterinarians are also on the front lines of an on going war. They are the best defense we have for our bio security. Since the horrors of 911, we are actually more aware of the devastation associated with such terrorist attacks. Organizations from our local police, the FBI and the National Guard continue to upgrade plans to protect us and our borders. But who’s on watch against mad cow disease, anthrax, food contaminants? Because of their background in zoonotic diseases, veterinarians are increasingly important to national security and public health.

By recognizing diseases in animals, our veterinarians can often prevent illnesses in humans and minimize the loss of animal life. The recent foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Great Britain symbolize how essential veterinarians are to protecting the health of our nation. And, veterinarians are the only ones trained to recognize these diseases as threats.

Biological agents not only cause disease and suffering to humans, but they also devastate our livestock herds and can have a huge impact on the economy. Just look at Asia to see how a single disease can cause such chaos. Avian influenza has affected millions of birds across Asia, Africa and Europe, and continues to upset human lives with its high mortality rate. Veterinarians are instrumental at sounding the early warning system.

But a decrease in the number of veterinarians treating large animals and working in the public health sector could make us vulnerable. The New York Times reports that less than 4,500 of the 75,00 veterinarians in the Untied States are considered to be large animal doctors and that number continues to drop. All of this is happening at the same time that 75% of all emerging disease in people are transmitted from animals.