An International Collaborative Approach to Developing Training Guidelines for Veterinary Paraprofessionals.

Veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) are engaged worldwide in animal health management, disease surveillance and food safety control. In many countries, particularly developing countries, VPPs are critical to national veterinary services provision. Until recently, there were no globally recognized training requirements for VPPs. Recognition of VPPs' qualifications and roles, and requirements for registration, vary greatly between jurisdictions. To address these issues, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has developed competency and curricular guidelines for VPPs. A collaborative approach was essential to this mission. Extensive consultation with individuals and agencies representing various countries, animal health and veterinary sectors, and forms of expertise, was undertaken. Collaborative methods included the formation of a guidelines development ad hoc group whose diversity reflected project needs, the use of existing OIE Member Country data to understand roles of VPPs globally, conducting stakeholder surveys to collate VPP competency expectations and solicit feedback on draft guidelines, and in-country missions to validate draft curricular models. The initial deliverable from this work was publication of Competency Guidelines for VPPs. This document provides recommendations on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aptitudes that could be expected of VPPs following effective training. The companion document, OIE Curricular Guidelines for VPPs, provides recommendations on coursework structure and content to achieve these competencies. These guidelines will assist countries worldwide in more effectively training and qualifying VPPs so that they can contribute positively to the provision of veterinary services. Another potential impact is to catalyze the review of educational and regulatory standards regarding the respective work rights and activities of veterinarians and VPPs.

Risk factors associated with the occurrence of Brucella canis seropositivity in dogs within selected provinces of South Africa.

The growing population of free-roaming dogs in informal communities in South Africa may increasingly place humans at risk of possible zoonotic infections including, but not limited to, Brucella canis. Worldwide, the prevalence of B. canis infection has increased during the last two centuries, resulting in increased reports of dog and human infections. This study investigated the risk factors associated with B. canis infection in dogs in three predefined areas: Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces, of South Africa. Dogs aged 7 months and older presented to welfare organisations and breeders in the study areas were selected for sampling. A comprehensive questionnaire on dog ownership, general health and vaccination status was completed prior to sampling. One blood sample of 8 mL was collected aseptically per dog. Then, equal amounts (4 mL) were transferred to the different vacutainer tubes. The 2-mercaptoethanol-tube agglutination tests were used after validation. Fifty-two dogs out of the combined sample of 1191 dogs from the three study areas tested positive for B. canis, representing an overall occurrence of 4.4%. A binomial logistic regression model was fitted to identify risk factors associated with B. canis in dogs within the study areas. Dog age (0.371; p 0.05) and external parasite infestation (0.311; p 0.05) were significantly associated with the B. canis infection. Ownership and sterilisation need to be further investigated as possible risk factors because both had odds ratios of 1684 and 1107, respectively, in the univariate model.