Veterinarian response to Covid-19 crisis
- Dalai1*, R. Dalai2 & S. Shekhar3
1Department of Veterinary Physiology, C.V.Sc & A.H., O.U.A.T, Bhubaneswar-751003, India.
2Computer science & Engg, BIT Mesra, Ranchi, India
3Technical Service Officer, Venky’s India Ltd, Bhubaneswar, India.
*Author for correspondence Email: niru.vets@gmail.com Tel: +91 8249810575
Introduction
A pandemic is defined as occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population, that’s why COVID-19 has been declared by WHO as pandemic disease and named as 2019-nCoV or 2019 novel corona virus. Corona viruses are single stranded RNA viruses about 120 nanometers in diameter which are susceptible to mutation and recombination and are therefore highly diverse.
Corona viruses belong to family coronaviridae get their name “Corona” from the many crown like spikes that project from their surface causing respiratory tract infections in human bings. Mild illness in humans include common cold where as lethal varieties can cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In december 2019, new strain of corona virus was first reported in Wuhan, China. Their main target cell is epithelial cells. By an aerosol, fomite and through faeco-oral route viruses are transmitted from one host to another. SARS-CoV-2 virus spread from one infected people to a healthy individual through close contact or through respiratory droplets. Based on information till now, the risk of spreading COVID-19 from animal to human is very low but the chances of occurrence of transmission of virus from people to animals are there when both of them are in close contact.
This COVID-19 pandemic gives better opportunities to veterinary profession to take initiative to increase one health contribution and to navigate the current pandemic situation. Veterinarians are an integral part of the global community of health professionals. Beyond the activities linked to health and welfare of animals, they have a key role in disease prevention and management including those transmissible to humans and to ensure food safety for the populations. Veterinarians have experience in successfully managing outbreaks of diseases like foot and mouth disease, anthrax, rabies and brucellosis, in addition to controlling zoonotic pathogens in foods of animal origin. They are uniquely poised to help safeguard global food security and stability through contributing their expertise in food animal production, food safety, epidemiology and biosecurity. This expertise will prevent future pandemics and maintain public health infrastructure including the safety of people engaged in animal origin food production. The veterinary profession has been invaluable asset in the protection of animals, human health and environment and uphold One Health Concept.
One health concept
Human health and animal health are interdependent and bound to health of ecosystem in which they exist. Every year many cases of human diseases appearing originate from animals which increases the chance of fatality. World Organization of animal health estimates sixty percent of existing human infectious diseases are transmitted from animals and this situation is more prevalent in our country where human and animals are in close proximity due to dependence of country on agriculture.
The COVID-19 lockdown and its effect on livestock associated activities
Due to nationwide lockdown and due to labour shortage, there is reduced capacity to work on animal health activities like artificial insemination, vaccination, treating sick animals, prophylactic treatment etc. This covid-19 crisis threatens the livestock production, food security and nutrition of millions of people. Due to restriction in movements, labour shortages, supply of raw materials, breeding materials, milking machine, replacement stocks (semen, day old chicks) are reduced. Disruption of public services combined with interrupted delivery of medicines and vaccines increase the chances of new epidemics, including those involving animal diseases that cause major livestock losses and outbreaks of diseases transmissible to humans. This lockdown has a very big impact on the stray animals and birds as they have no means of feeding themselves as all restaurants, roadside eateries are closed.
Importance of veterinarians during covid crisis
The covid-19 pandemic is creating unusual pressure on public health services. To minimize the impact of this rapidly spreading virus a multidisciplinary collaborative approach is required. Veterinary services contribute in various ways towards building a common response to the pandemic. Not only to animal health but also veterinarians have shown their commitment to support the work of human health authorities. Veterinary laboratories have used their experience and expertise in high throughput testing capacity of infectious diseases to engage in activities such as surveillance screening, by testing human samples, thereby supporting the diagnostic capacity of human health services. To track human diseases and to support the development of effective public health interventions, veterinary epidemiologists have been supporting their counterparts.
During this pandemic situation, nationwide lockdown implemented to contain the spread of disease mean while veterinary services are considered in the list of “Essential services”. Veterinarians have been engaged in continuous emergency services in the animal husbandry and veterinary sectors especially in emergent animal health issues situations by monitoring any livestock and poultry diseases, disease diagnosis and treatment etc. In conjuction with crisis management effort, the activities of veterinary services contribute to addressing critical needs, which are heavily challenged in the current circumstances: food security and safety, as well as livelihoods are intrinsically linked to sound animal production systems. The veterinary services also include national and regional veterinary regulatory and inspection services which supervise the integrity of public health. Veterinarians provide important animal and public health disesase surveillance to prevent disease outbreaks and also zoonotic diseases. They ensure food security and that people have safe food to eat by ensuring only healthy animals and their products can enter food supply. Beside this, they oversee the care of laboratory animals which are critical to research medicines and vaccines including vaccine research against COVID-19. To ensure an appropriate level of biosecurity, veterinarians wear protective personal equipment and maintain social distancing which safeguard the health of our animal patients as well as their owners.
Conclusion
This pandemic COVID-19 provides a best opportunity for all veterinarians across the world to show their talent and to shine through proper supervision with leadership quality. They are really doing incredible job by protecting health of animals, people and also environment and therefore act as key players for one health theory.
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