Council on Public Health
The Council on Public Health provides expert advice and consultation on issues related to safeguarding animal and public health.
Veterinarians and public health
In addition to caring for animals, veterinarians are critical to public health. We contribute to medical discovery, protect people and animals from…
AVMA Public Service Award
This award honors an AVMA member veterinarian for outstanding public service or unusual contributions to public health and regulatory veterinary…
Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens affecting animal health
The AVMA has worked with experts to identify bacteria affecting multiple animal species for which there is evidence of antimicrobial resistance. The…
Veterinarians protect people, animals, and society
When people think of veterinarians, they usually think of doctors for animals, but veterinary medicine also crosses over into public health.
Food supply veterinary medicine
Information on food supply veterinary medicine - why it's important, where FSVM veterinarians are compared to livestock, who’s involved, what’s the…
Seek Advice on Backyard Poultry
Advice for small animal veterinarians who are asked to provide veterinary care for backyard poultry flocks. Relates to backyard poultry resource.
Antibiotic use is changing. Talk to your veterinarian.
Talk to a veterinarian about responsible use of antibiotics in animals. Veterinary oversight helps preserve antimicrobial effectiveness in fighting…
Avian influenza virus type A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was identified in U.S. dairy cattle for the first time in March 2024. Here are important details about this…
Harmful algal blooms (HABs)
Understand harmful algal blooms (HABs), including how to diagnose and treat toxicosis in animals and how to prevent exposure.
State & Local Dog Bite Prevention/Breed-Specific Proposals
Tools to help veterinarians influence state and local laws affecting dog bite prevention, including breed-specific legislation.
5 reasons you want a veterinarian on your team in a zombie apocalypse
Under normal circumstances, we'd never recommend that a veterinarian treat a human. But in a zombie apocalypse... physicians might be hard to come by.…
SARS-CoV-2 in animals
Learn about how the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 affects animals, and how to keep pets safe during the pandemic.
Mpox (monkeypox)
Mpox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Its symptoms are similar to smallpox, but the disease is less contagious and less severe.
Disaster preparedness
Disaster and emergency preparedness and response are important issues to the AVMA. We provide wide-ranging resources to help both veterinarians and…
A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention (abstract)
A Model Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention(abst) in proceedings 140th Annual ConventionAmerican Veterinary Medical AssociationJune 2001Gail C.…
Plague
Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
Why breed-specific legislation is not the answer
Breed-specific legislation may look good on the surface, but it’s not a reliable or effective solution for dog bite prevention.
Disposal of pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical Disposal has come under increased scrutiny due to detection of human pharmaceuticals in U.S. Waterways.
Definitions: What is waste?
It may seem easy – waste is everything that no longer has a use or purpose and needs to be disposed of, right?