ABSTRACT
This study was designed to assess the mental health of swine veterinarians involved with mass depopulation events related to COVID-19 and compare them to swine veterinarians not involved in mass depopulation. Additionally, we assessed the well being, quality of life, psychological distress, burnout, and resilience in veterinarians who conducted depopulation events and the potential impact of depopulation methods on these factors. Finally, we identified coping methods utilized by swine veterinarians for improved well being. The study involved the distribution of an anonymous online survey, available December 2020 to January 2021, to swine veterinarians practicing in the United States. A total of 134 responses were analyzed. Stress related to the depopulation effort was predominantly an outcome of two factors: ethics of care (people and pigs) and perception of others (public, colleagues, family, friends, neighbors). Depopulation involvement was associated with burnout (p = 0.001). The depopulation method utilized significantly impacted depopulation distress (p = 0.007), perception of others (p < 0.001), and burnout (p < 0.001). Nearly one-third (29%) of all participants reported moderate levels of burnout. Based on these results, the call to action is to enhance the availability and visibility of existing mental health services and take necessary steps to destigmatize mental health. Additionally, it is critical to support the development of mental health programs for swine veterinarians through education, training, research, and transparent communication.
ABSTRACT
CASE DESCRIPTION: In February 2020, a swine farm operating in multiple states throughout the Midwest began to evaluate emergency plans to respond to potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. CLINICAL FINDINGS: From February through April, extensive mitigation strategies were implemented in anticipation of market disruption. The farm consulted the AVMA Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals to identify preferred methods for depopulation of swine; however, none of these methods were feasible. When the first US packing plant closed in April 2020 because of human COVID-19 infection, the farm began to evaluate whether ventilation shutdown plus (VSD+) could be used for depopulation. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Through proof-of-concept trials, a method for ventilation shutdown with the addition of supplemental temperature and humidity was developed. A single location with 4 barns that could be retrofitted for the process was selected, and between April and June 2020, 243,016 pigs were depopulated (59,478 nursery and 183,538 finishing pigs). Mean ± SD time to silent (the time when no sounds could be heard and no motion seen) was 55.4 ± 14.5 minutes for the nursery pigs and 65.0 ± 18.1 minutes for the finishing pigs. Only 728 (0.300%) pigs required manual euthanasia at the end of the depopulation process. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Efficacy exceeded AVMA recommendations for the use of VSD+ (> 95% mortality rate in < 1 hour). Findings could potentially guide the use of this method for mass depopulation in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak or severe market disruption in the future.