Notes from the:
Global Veterinary Ethics Congress
The GVEC: Making a Difference!
"Decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare shall be made by balancing scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values. AVMA
The AVMA, as a medical authority for the health and welfare of animals, offers the following eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare policies, resolutions, and actions.
- The responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as companionship, food, fiber, recreation, work, education, exhibition, and research conducted for the benefit of both humans and animals, is consistent with the Veterinarian's Oath.
- Decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare shall be made by balancing scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values.
- Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behavior.
- Animals should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering.
- Procedures related to animal housing, management, care, and use should be continuously evaluated, and when indicated, refined or replaced.
- Conservation and management of animal populations should be humane, socially responsible, and scientifically prudent.
- Animals shall be treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when necessary, provided a humane death.
- The veterinary profession shall continually strive to improve animal health and welfare through scientific research, education, collaboration, advocacy, and the development of legislation and regulations.
Our Journey Continues:
Pandemic Notes from the GVEC............
Is the End of the Global Pandemic in Sight?
Here is What WHO has to say:
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, highlighted that the virus is still “ intensely circulating” around the world and that the agency believes that case numbers being reported are an underestimate.
“We expect that there are going to be future waves of infection, potentially at different time points throughout the world caused by different subvariants of Omicron or even different variants of concern”, she said, reiterating her previous warning that the more the virus circulates, the more opportunities it has to mutate.
However, she said, these future waves do not need to translate into “waves or death” because there are now effective tools such as vaccines and antivirals specifically for COVID-19.
How has the world changed? We have become more impatient; more self-concerned; more anxious; more angry; and have withdrawn from the active concern for others.
We forget that our health service professionals are still in fox holes of hospital admissions and the care of COVID patients.
Everyone comments that the variants are not that bad. It is just a bad cold. That is not completely true as death rates are reported and hospital admissions climb in many states.
How do you explain the importance of Covid Vaccine and its variants? It cannot be explained because those with closed minds will NEVER become immunized.
A New Health Issue-HRSV-Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus is affecting Children
This fall our country has had a high incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV] being reported. This virus has been around for years but it has made a major return in 2022.
Causes of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth. It spreads easily through the air on infected respiratory droplets. You or your child can become infected if someone with RSV coughs or sneezes near you. The virus also passes to others through direct contact, such as shaking hands.
The virus can live for hours on hard objects such as countertops, crib rails and toys. Touch your mouth, nose or eyes after touching a contaminated object and you're likely to pick up the virus.
An infected person is most contagious during the first week or so after infection. But in infants and those with weakened immunity, the virus may continue to spread even after symptoms go away, for up to four weeks.
Risk factors
By age 2, most children will have been infected with respiratory syncytial virus, but they can get infected by RSV more than once. Children who attend child care centers or who have siblings who attend school are at a higher risk of exposure and reinfection. RSV season — when outbreaks tend to occur — is the fall to the end of spring.
People at increased risk of severe or sometimes life-threatening RSV infections include:
- Infants, especially premature infants or babies who are 6 months or younger
- Children who have heart disease that's present from birth (congenital heart disease) or chronic lung disease
- Children or adults with weakened immune systems from diseases such as cancer or treatment such as chemotherapy
- Children who have neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy
- Adults with heart disease or lung disease
- Older adults, especially those age 65 and older
Complications
Complications of respiratory syncytial virus include:
- Hospitalization. A severe RSV infection may require a hospital stay so that doctors can monitor and treat breathing problems and give intravenous (IV) fluids.
- Pneumonia. RSV is the most common cause of inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) or the lungs' airways (bronchiolitis) in infants. These complications can occur when the virus spreads to the lower respiratory tract. Lung inflammation can be quite serious in infants, young children, older adults, immunocompromised individuals, or people with chronic heart or lung disease.
- Middle ear infection. If germs enter the space behind the eardrum, you can get a middle ear infection (otitis media). This happens most frequently in babies and young children.
- Asthma. There may be a link between severe RSV in children and the chance of developing asthma later in life.
- Repeated infections. Once you've had RSV, you could get infected again. It's even possible for it to happen during the same RSV season. However, symptoms usually aren't as severe — typically it's in the form of a common cold. But they can be serious in older adults or in people with chronic heart or lung disease.
Prevention-What we can do!
No vaccine exists for respiratory syncytial virus. But these lifestyle habits can help prevent the spread of this infection:
- Wash your hands frequently. Teach your children the importance of hand-washing.
- Avoid exposure. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Limit your baby's contact with people who have fevers or colds.
- Keep things clean. Make sure kitchen and bathroom countertops, doorknobs, and handles are clean. Discard used tissues right away.
- Don't share drinking glasses with others. Use your own glass or disposable cups when you or someone else is sick. Label each person's cup.
- Don't smoke. Babies who are exposed to tobacco smoke have a higher risk of getting RSV and potentially more-severe symptoms. If you do smoke, never do so inside the house or car.
- Wash toys regularly. Do this especially when your child or a playmate is sick.
Protective medication
The medication palivizumab (Synagis), given in the form of a shot (injection), can help protect certain infants and children 2 years old and younger who are at high risk of serious complications from RSV. High-risk children in this age group include those who:
- Were born prematurely
- Have chronic lung disease
- Have certain heart defects
- Have a weakened immune system
The first injection is given at the start of the RSV season, with monthly injections given during the season. This medication only helps prevent RSV infection. It does not help treat it once symptoms develop.
Talk with your child's doctor to find out if your child would benefit from this medication and to learn more about it. This medication is not recommended for healthy children or for adults.
Scientists continue working to develop a vaccine to protect against RSV.
The Flu season, COVID Variants, and Human RSV are with us!
