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News you need to know  Top
Stamping out the staying power of chronic wounds
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine are exploring ways to speed up healing in chronic wounds and thus shorten recovery times for patients with diabetes and limited mobility. If successful, the research findings will revolutionize how doctors manage hard-to-treat wounds such as foot ulcers and pressure sores, according to Dr. Christopher Murphy, a veterinary ophthalmologist and research team member. For more information, contact Tania Banak at (608) 263-6717 or banakt@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu.
Widening the avian influenza safety net
As further proof of how animal and human health are inextricably entwined, the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has been named a partner in a new National Institutes of Health surveillance and research center that will study influenza viruses with pandemic potential, including bird flu. Walter Boyce, a research veterinarian and director of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, will lead the university's research efforts. This expansion of the federal government's early detection program for influenza is designed to help reduce the chances of a deadly influenza outbreak around the world. For more information, contact Sylvia Wright at (530) 752-7704 or swright@ucdavis.edu.
Stopping the march of white blood cells
Why do some people infected with Lyme disease develop painful arthritis and others don't? Dr. Charles Brown, an associate professor of veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, is getting closer to finding an answer and possibly stopping the arthritis from forming. Brown is focusing on chemical messengers called chemokines and how they attract white blood cells that fight off acute infections. The problem, Brown has so far determined, is that the white blood cells also damage healthy tissue in joint areas, leading to arthritis. If he can stop the white blood cells from getting to the site of the infection, Brown believes he may be able to stop the arthritis from forming. For more information, contact Randy Mertens at (573) 884-2215 or mertensr@missouri.edu.
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DeHaven to assume role of AVMA executive vice president
The Department of Agriculture's top veterinarian, Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, has been chosen as the next executive director of the American Veterinary Medical Association. DeHaven, administrator of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, gained national prominence in 2003 and 2004 when chronic wasting disease and BSE were making headlines. DeHaven believes that the veterinary profession is at a crossroads. To find out why, contact David Kirkpatrick at (847) 285-6782 or dkirkpatrick@avma.org.
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A sampling of interesting upcoming events and pet-related campaigns ...
World Veterinary Day, April 28, 2007: Veterinarians around the world will recognize and promote veterinary medicine's many contributions to human and animal health, including research on avian influenza and West Nile Virus, surveillance that ensures food safety and discoveries that lead to major advancements in human health care such as cancer treatments. For more information, visit www.worldvet.org or www.avma.org.
National Pet Week, May 6, 2007 – May 12, 2007: National Pet Week is widely celebrated throughout the United States and promotes responsible pet ownership, celebrates the human-animal bond and promotes public awareness of veterinary medicine. For more information, visit www.petweek.org.
National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 20, 2007 – May 26, 2007: The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Kennel Club and the U.S. Postal Service team their efforts to educate the public and help reduce the 4.7 million dog bites and 800,000 visits to doctors and emergency rooms that occur each year. For more information, visit www.avma.org or www.cdc.gov.
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