Veterinary education: a basis for good governance leading to effective veterinary services.

Veterinary education serves as the foundation on which a country can build effective Veterinary Services (VS). In addition, an appropriately well-educated animal health workforce will be better poised to actively participate in and advance good governance practices. Good governance, in turn, will lead to improved animal and veterinary public heath infrastructures and help advance economic development across the globe. A crucial first step in establishing a strong educational foundation is to define minimum competencies for both public- and private-practice veterinarians to perform veterinary service tasks. Defining minimum competencies will also assist veterinary education establishments (VEEs) in developing and implementing curricula to allow graduates to achieve those competencies. Incorporating veterinary educational prerequisites and requirements into governance documents that regulate VS will help to ensure that those who deliver VS have an adequate knowledge and skills base to do so. Public-private partnerships may be particularly effective in designing and implementing curricula that address defined minimum competencies and assure the quality of VEEs. Through these partnerships, a system of continuous quality improvement is established that embodies the qualities essential to good governance practices. Such practices will ultimately strengthen national VS, better protect animal and public health, and ensure food security.

Bluetongue viruses and trade issues: a North American perspective.

The geographic distribution of bluetongue (BT) viruses (BTVs) is governed by definable virus-vector-ecological/environmental relationships. The infection can only be transmitted by competent vectors. In the United States of America (USA), the New England States (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) and the northern tier of states from Maine to Montana are free of BTV because they are vector-free. Likewise, the eastern provinces of Canada are free of both the vector and the viruses. In Mexico, different virus-vector ecosystems exist in the northern and southern regions of the country. Historically, significant trade in cattle has occurred between Canada and the USA and the USA and Mexico. Although unrestricted year-round movement of cattle from BTV-endemic areas to vector-free and BTV-free areas occurs, BTVS have never been isolated from resident cattle in such virus-free areas in the USA. The authors discuss current BT-related requirements for trade within North America and elsewhere.

Factors to consider when using vaccine to control an exotic disease outbreak.

Recent global events have dramatically increased the attention given to veterinary medical regulatory authorities' responsibility of protecting their country's agricultural interests from the threat of exotic disease outbreaks. A vaccine can be a valuable tool to help curb the spread of an exotic disease epidemic and/or lessen its economic impact. However, the decision on whether or not to use a vaccine during an outbreak may be complex and have far-reaching impacts. The decision must be approached in a logical and orderly fashion, taking into account the scientific, economic, political, and practical considerations that are unique to each individual disease outbreak. A decision-making process for the use of a vaccine developed for foot-and-mouth disease and its potential application to help decide on the use of vaccines in other exotic disease outbreaks is discussed.