Weekend Rounds - 04.03

Avian Influenza and Frozen Zoos👀

April 03, 2022

Avian Influenza 2022

Already this year, over

have died of highly pathogenic avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in the US. Animals affected are predominantly chickens, however, turkeys have also been affected. Monitoring programs have also identified the disease in wild species and backyard flocks in at least 30 states.

This year's outbreak appears to be a strain of the virus that has been circling in Asia for a few years and is particularly potent to water fowl. Surveillance programs have identified the virus in 20% of waterfowl as opposed to 1% normally seen on an annual basis. Infections in water fowl are typically asymptomatic but some clinical infections have been noted in the US and

.

The disease represents a significant commercial risk to flocks across North America but is not reported as zoonotic. While migratory birds serve as a reservoir and host, most infections are brought on to farms through breaks in biosecurity, transferring on the shoes or clothing or personnel.

Given the outbreaks, please take extra caution when monitoring flocks, including backyard chickens.

More well-being good news

Since starting Weekend Rounds, we have always tried to focus on the positive news across the veterinary industry. Even when reporting on the toughest issues facing our profession, we want to be a bright spot in your week and allow you to share some good news with colleagues at work. If we can put a smile on your face, that's even better.

While it's not always possible to report strictly good news (see above), we do our best to find the positive spin. On the war in Ukraine, we shed a spotlight on the

on the front lines. We've highlighted changes in

that benefit vets. And just last week shared a round-up of

from around the animal kingdom.

Still nothing makes us happier than we can share positive news on the well-being and burnout crisis in the profession.

This week, the CBC provided some much needed mainstream coverage with a headline so direct it's hard to miss:

. The article speaks to the veterinary staff shortages and notes that "COVID-19 exposed cracks in many parts of the medical system, including animal care, which was on the brink of crisis before the pandemic." It's great to see these issues take centre-stage on a national scale.

Inside the industry, change is brewing as well. Bond Vet launched the launched a 16-week mentorship program for recent veterinary graduates called MADE (Mentorship, Advancement, Development, & Education). The program aims to help vets transition from a background of theoretical knowledge to an application of their medicine in the real world among different cases. By providing an alternative to the traditional internship program where the 60-to-80-hour weeks often lead to burnout and fatigue Bond Vet is hoping to better prepare recent grads to enter the workforce.

We're big fans of the way

is changing the game for vets and we think you might be too.

Quick hits:

Here are the stories that caught our eyes this week and are worth a read:  

'Frozen zoos' may be a Noah's Ark for endangered animals [CNN]

Wild animals in Ecuador now have legal rights thanks to a monkey named Estrellita [Euronews]

Proposed deep sea mining would kill animals not yet discovered [National Geographic]

Kanien'kehá:ka veterinarian hopes to inspire more Indigenous people into the profession [CBC]

New veterinary hospital on the Galapagos islands offers services at no cost to clients [DVM360]

Trivia

True or false?  The U.S. Navy has trained Dolphins to guard nuclear arsenals.

Your weekly dopamine

Will you steal my sunshine?

Pretty hard not to smile when these cuties offer up some of their sunshine...

Trivia Answer

Yep. You read that right.The Navy Marine Mammal Program at San Diego's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command has trained bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to assist in military operations. In the past, the animals had been used in conflicts such in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, but today are mainly used for deep sea object recovery and around nuclear stockpile on the US coasts. While we're on the subject, check out the animals who served in WW1 including carrier pigeons, glow-worms, dogs, and horses.

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