Animal Carcass Risk in Disasters Discussed at Symposium

By Dr. Kristi Henderson, Assistant Director of the Scientific Activities Division

Animal Carcass Risk in Natural Disasters is a new AVMA policy that was initiated and developed by the AVMA's Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues (CDEI) in efforts to dispel public misconceptions concerning the carcasses of animals that have died from injuries, such as those suffered during natural disasters. In April, the Executive Board approved and enacted the new policy, which supports the world public health community's position.

Referenced by the policy is the Pan American Health Organization's Manual on Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations. The manual is considered to be the definitive resource document on this subject by the world public health community, including the World Health Organization and U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new AVMA policy states:

"Consistent with current scientific literature and the conclusions of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the AVMA recognizes that animals that die from injuries, including massive animal deaths in cases of natural disasters, generally do not represent a health hazard for humans. The presence of dead bodies that result from a disaster, without the presence of another risk factor, is not the cause for the spread of infectious diseases."
(1PAHO Manual, Ch 3, Conclusions; p. 81)

Captain Stephanie Ostrowski, U. S. Centers for Disease Control veterinarian and CDEI member, presented "Why Public Health Officials Need to Understand Carcass Disposal Issues and Options" at the 3rd International Symposium on Management of Animal Carcasses, Tissues, and Related Byproducts, which was held at UC Davis in July. The speech highlighted the crucial need for accurate understanding of human health risks posed by animal carcasses and that inaccurate determinations can and have lead to inappropriate resource assignment, prioritization, and coordination, often in the face of limited resources.

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