VETERINARIAN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Dr. D. N. Singh ,Assistant Professor
Department of Livestock Production Management
C.V.Sc. & A.H., DUVASU, Mathura (U.P.)-281001
Veterinarians are the integral and essential part of the global health, offer diverse roles not only related to the health and welfare of animals but prevention, management and control of zoonotic diseases. Their amazing role to provide the healthy food and nutritional security for livelihood and good health condition can’t be ignored. Now days, Veterinarians of whole worlds are actively engaged in scientific research to understand the ecology of emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans and vice versa. In animal clinics, Veterinarians work with companion, farm and exotic animals to diagnose, treat acute and chronic diseases, provide targeted vaccines, treat parasitic infection, infestation and perform minor surgeries like dressing wounds, mending broken bones, performing dental work to major ones like caesarean sections and also humanely euthanize whenever necessary. Veterinarians are also key contributors to ethical review processes in vetero-legal cases, speaking with authority and pragmatism as the animals’ advocate. That is what these animals deserve, not only the five freedoms- freedom from hunger, freedom from discomfort i.e. having shelter, freedom from pain and suffering from disease, freedom to express its normal behavior, freedom from fear and distress; but proper internationally achievable and respected standards for their whole life. The Veterinarians are also responsible for public health and their welfare also.
More than half of all human diseases are animal originated, caused by multi-host pathogens. Effective prevention and control of infectious diseases at the animal-human-ecosystems interface is the key to prevent the spread of diseases in animals and humans, enhancing food security and fostering poverty reduction. All activities of animal science affect human health either directly through biomedical research and public health or indirectly by addressing domestic animal, wildlife, or environmental health. Trained veterinary professionals, such as those in Public Service and Food Inspection, work to promote food security and ensure that food from animals is safe to ship and eat.
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the corona virus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19 on 30 January 2020, and later declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 20 April 2021, more than 141 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 3.02 million deaths attributed to COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The virus spreads mainly through the air when people are near each other. It leaves an infected person as they breathe, cough, sneeze, or speak and enters another person via their mouth, nose, or eyes. It may also spread via contaminated surfaces. People remain contagious for up to two weeks, and can spread the virus even if they are asymptomatic. It is believed that this virus has been transmitted from bats from Wuhan lab of China. Veterinarians have applied various surveillance methods and novel tools to control and eradicate several pathogens either with zoonotic potential or without zoonotic potential.
COVID-19 being an infectious disease with animal origin, joint efforts from vets and other associated professional like medicos offer a long term solution to these problems. A desire since the inception of COVID-19 pandemic has been “when we have the vaccine” is fulfilled now and has got its basis from the corona virus vaccine of animals, previously developed. It is important to mention that COVID-19 vaccine cannot be considered to be 100% effective in everyone. Vaccinated people are also prone to infection, albeit with much smaller chance. They may not become sick but can contract virus and spread to the other people. Recently, COVID-19 vaccine (Carnivac-Cov, Russia) too has been developed for vulnerable animals (cats, dogs and minks) with a motive to prevent mutation of the virus. There are various role and responsibilities which are performed by the Veterinarians for the global health, social responsibilities with animal welfare.
- Veterinarians in Awareness Campaign against COVID-19
In case of non-emergency services, vets including doctors of veterinary hospital and faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, rendered services through telemedicine. Veterinarians are also actively involved in creating awareness program about how to prevent and protect themselves along with family from this infectious corona virus infection. Veterinarians also play a very significant role in creating awareness and sharing of knowledge through virtual mode by conducting online webinar/conferences to impart education as well as to guide researchers without compromising the social distancing. Further, being part and parcel of the society with scientific background, vets role in maintaining the mental health and ensuring social distancing can’t be ignored. In time of crisis, ones opinion matters and if it comes from doctor, results are more fruitful.
- Veterinarians and Public Health concern
Veterinarians (Vets) is being an integral and essential part of the global health offer diversified roles related to the health and welfare of animals along with routine prevention, management and control of zoonotic diseases with the help of livestock and animal owners. Their roles not only related to the health and welfare of animals but prevention, management and control of zoonotic and infectious diseases as well. Their role in ensuring the healthy food and its safety in no way can be ignored along with the food security f the human being to provide protein rich diet to all of us. To commemorate their role to the society, this year World Veterinary Day (WVD) is themed with “The Veterinarian Response to the Covid-19 Crisis” so that to create awareness and responsibilities by the Veterinarians about the COVID-19 pandemic scenario.
- Veterinarians in Nutritional Food Security and National GDP
The recent Covid-19 lockdown has impacted the domestic poultry industry severely being the worst quarter in recent time. The industry incurred large net losses due to sharp decline in demand, realization and profitability. Rumours circulated in social media, linking poultry birds as possible vectors of the virus, further lead to the demand drop and hence realizations. The corona virus outbreak and the consequent lockdown have pushed the poultry sector in the country into a crisis with losses projected at Rs 28,500 crore beginning February this year. To nullify these rumours Veterinarian also plays a important role for the society.
Veterinary care for food animals ensures their good health and thus we get nutritious and palatable food in terms of milk, meat, eggs etc. This also supports agricultural livelihoods and the viability of our livestock farms. All these roles would rather make the routine work of the Vets but the current COVID-19 crisis has unmasked their potential and utility beyond that too in an effective way.
The most of the Veterinarians across the globe are engaged in research to understand the ecology of emerging zoonotic diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans. COVID-19 being an infectious disease with animal origin, joint efforts from Vets and other associated professional like medicos and health workres. It is important to mention that COVID-19 vaccine cannot be considered to be 100% effective in everyone. Vaccinated people are also prone to infection, albeit with much smaller chance. They may not become sick but can contract virus and spread to the other people. Recently, COVID-19 vaccine (Carnivac-Cov, Russia) too has been developed for vulnerable animals (cats, dogs and minks) with a motive to prevent mutation of the virus.
- Veterinarians in COVID-19 diagnosis
The Veterinarians of entire globe are actively involved in diagnosis of corona virus in their laboratories by adopting novel technologies. In India the Veterinarians professionals are well equipped with the scientific knowledge to handle the virus and perform associated diagnostic tests in most of the state and central veterinary institution and research centers. As such the Vet man-power and their hospital machinery have really helped in testing COVD-19 timely.
In India several Veterinary University, Research Organization and Veterinary colleges are actively participated in COVID-19 diagnosis like U.P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya, DUVASU, Mathura (U.P.), Nagpur Veterinary College, MAFSU, Nagpur (Maharashtra, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana (Punjab), Indian Veterinary Research Institute, IVRI, Izzatnagar, Bareilly (U.P.). Vets are well equipped with the scientific knowledge to handle the virus and perform associated diagnostic tests. As such the Vet man-power and their hospital machinery have really helped in testing COVD-19 timely especially with advanced, reliable and novel technology RTPCR (Real Time Polymerized Chain Reaction) of virus isolation and detection. Vets have now also plays a very active role in vaccination program against COVID-19.
- Veterinarians in COVID-19 Vaccine Development
For production and trials of vaccine production and evaluation animal models are very much reliable and safe models. Animals are used to assess the safety, immunogenic potential, efficacy and effectiveness of vaccine by conducting several trials under his supervision. Various types of laboratory and primates mammals, birds and animals are used for conducting trials. Several Veterinarians have directly or indirectly role in development of COVID-19 vaccine either covaxin of Bharat biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. Dr. Sreelekshmy Mohandas as a lady Veterinarian of India plays a very key role in Indigenous Vaccind development.
- Veterinarians in Social Responsibilities
A combination of ecological disturbances, landscape changes, human behaviors, and public health factors contributes to the frequency of contacts between humans and wildlife, and such contacts pose a risk of exposure to trans-boundary animal viruses. For the control of infectious diseases in animal populations, as a Veterinarians we should advise to adopt the followings-
- Biosecurity measures: To prevent the introduction of viruses to populations.
- Surveillance via diagnostic testing: To identify infected animals.
- Culling of infected animals from uninfected populations.
- Vaccination for long-term control by promoting immunity.
Veterinarians should have significant roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and protecting animals and humans from emerging and trans-boundary infections. Such roles should be based on the One Health framework, the application of which can reduce economic impacts on the livestock industry and food supply.
- Veterinarians in Providing Advisory Services
As a Veterinarians it is our duty to restrict the movement of visitors to the livestock farms practice biosecurity measures. Strength of farm workers/ animal shed attendants should be minimized with maximum output per worker without any ill health. The workers engaized in livestock farming they should wear mask advised to sanitize with appropriate sanitizer and maintain social distance while cleaning animal shed, chaffing and distributing fodder and milking dairy animals etc., If any worker is found ill, he should be channelized to take standard health measures to avoid any possibility for disease spread. The animal farm equipments and accessories should be cleaned and sanitized regularly.
Trading of livestock should be stopped, if highly needed should be managed through e-trading. In case of purchase of animals, animals should be quarantined for a period of three weeks before introduction into existing herd.
All human resources at livestock farms should be advised to install Arogya Sethu App mandatorily to know about the risk status. The workers should maintains a safe distance from other i.e. more than 6 feet and wear full sleeve clothe. Delivery of milk and milk products without human contact should be done by leaving the product at door or maintain a gap of at least 6 feet. Contact with common touch points such as door bell, door handle etc. should be avoided and if touched hands should be sanitized thoroughly. At the sale counter, wear the mask and hand gloves and ask the customers to maintain social distance. If vehicle used for delivering milk or milk products entered an area marked as hotspot, it should be thoroughly clean before another use.
Any Employee who has fever along with dry cough and facing shortness of breath should immediately be quarantined and referred to doctor. Staff commuting to work area in Public transport shall avoid the same. If using public transportation, maintain a social distance, wear a mask and sanitize the hands frequently and avoid touching the face. Disposal tissues should be used for sneezing or coughing and proper disposal of used tissues should be there and hands should be thoroughly washed before handling anything else.
The farmers should tried to Convert of surplus milk into value added products like butter milk, Ghee, paneer, chhanna production, concentrated products like Khoa, Kulfee preparation and utilization of milk by-product like skim milk can be fermented for curd/lassie or may be used for flavored milk production or it may be fed to calves if remains unutilized or casein can be prepared to sale later on.
The butchers and personals involved in meat industry should maintain clean and disinfect the knives used for meat cutting in hot water at the temperature of >82°C for few seconds. Meat processing facilities must meet the basic hygienic standards in order to ensure and maintain clean and hygienic working conditions. High temperature cooking (pressure cooking preferable) regimen should be followed. The personnel involved in processing must wash their hands between handling different items such as knives, raw and cooked meat, mixing bowls, spoons etc. All the equipments and instruments in the meat processing plant must be sanitized after every shift. Wash surfaces with detergent and water at 60°C and then sanitize by applying very hot potable water (75°C) for at least 2 minutes. Then disinfect surfaces with suitable disinfectant. For this chlorine or quaternary ammonium compounds based sanitizers can be used.
The persons involved in handling of eggs should wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Egg should be cleaned using potable detergent water or egg soap water (pH 11.0) like egg wash powder, an alkaline chlorinated foam control powder. After washing, eggs should be sanitized using chlorine based sanitizer (50-200ppm). Eggs should be transported in a closed container and no other items should be permitted for transportation in the same vehicle and vehicle should be regularly disinfected before loading and after unloading.
8. Suggestions during COVID-19
There is a need for a national framework for risk assessment of animal welfare, across all sectors, by the Veterinarians to identify potential risks to animal welfare, not just animal disease risks. There is a need for clear communication channels among the Veterinarians, industries and Organizations that deal with animals and their welfare. Veterinarians Contingency plans for animal welfare – Sectors that are responsible for the care of animals need crisis response plans in place, covering everything that could disrupt animal care. Risks include natural disasters, biosecurity events, supply chain shocks, Labor disruptions, movement restrictions on personnel, financial hardship, feed supply shortage, and limitations to transport and processing capacity. Contingency plans must cover financial hardship, and they need to identify resource reserves that can be used to ensure that the care of the animals is not compromised. Sectors should document the arrangements that were developed for the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporate these into contingency plans. The challenges to human mental health during a crisis may compromise one’s ability to provide adequate care for animals or to perceive when animal welfare is at risk. Support systems for animal care providers during times of crisis should be developed by each sector.
Conclusion
The Veterinarians are a center of wheel for communication and collaboration for animal protection organizations, animal health, the livestock production and processing sectors, the aquaculture, wildlife, and animal racing sectors, the zoo and aquarium sector, the animals in research and teaching sector and the companion animal sector. Veterinarians plays a very key role to maintain global and health, economics of nation with the help of livestock and animal owners and their valuable various products and byproducts. True Veterinarians ensuring the healthy food and its safety for the whole society. Vets monitor and up-keep the health conditions of food-producing animals. Veterinarians also make sure that the food supply through these animals is safe for the consumption by humans. Significance of Animal Health: Animals are responsible for producing some major food items. So as Veterinarians, on the occasion of this world Veterinary Day, we should take the oath to serve the society as well as to pay sincere devotion and dedication towards our speechless animals by performing our sincere duties with full responsibilities.
