We call rabies “almost invariably fatal” in people. Rabies kills an estimated 50,000 people a year globally, mostly in Africa and Asia. Even with very intensive care, the prognosis is grave. Only a very small number of people have survived rabies: there are approximately 34 documented cases of survival, but an even smaller number
Antimicrobials are often used at the time of surgery, but it’s widely accepted that there is tremendous overuse of antimicrobials in this context in both human and veterinary medicine. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is indicated in some surgical patients to reduce the risk of surgical site infection, but in a large percentage of cases use of antimicrobials
That headline might get some people worked up, but hopefully they’ll read the whole post before firing off an angry email.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a huge problem in humans and animals, which means we need to improve or optimize how we use antimicrobials, but this is not synonymous with reducing use. Most of the
Change is tough. Repeated changes are even tougher, especially when it takes a lot of time and effort for each one to be understood and implemented. But change is also good – and important – when it improves how we do things.
In 2024, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) changed some important breakpoints
It’s nice to finally be able to talk about H5N1 influenza without discussing ostriches, but unfortunately, we still have things to talk about.
1) Peacocks. Specifically peacocks that don’t have influenza and aren’t going to be culled.
Last month I posted about an animal sanctuary in BC (Critteraid) that was dealing with an outbreak
Canada recently lost its measles-free status, in large part because of a slip in our overall vaccination rate. A lot of that has been driven by vaccine hesitancy. The resurgence of measles in people shows what can happen when we aren’t using one of our best control methods (vaccination) optimally.
Vaccine hesitancy is an issue
When I was in general practice, we gave puppies and kittens their first rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age. I didn’t ask why, it’s just what the clinic did, so as a new grad, that’s what I did. This practice is (unfortunately) still common in a lot of clinics; however, all rabies vaccines approved
I remember the first case of fly myiasis (aka fly strike, maggot infestation) in general practice. I was a very new grad called to look at a lamb owned by someone who had a few sheep. The complaint was that the lamb wasn’t doing well. It was laying down when I arrived and I grabbed
The H5N1 influenza situation in North America has been quieter lately (apart from saga with the BC ostriches, but that’s a different story). There’s been less spillover into domestic animals recently and less attention in the news, but the virus is still out there and causing problems. (H5N1 flu activity has already started
Yesterday I wrote about a FDA notice regarding H5N1 contamination of RAWR pet food that killed a cat in California (and likely sickened others, but that’s a guess). A sharp reader pointed me to the manufacturer’s response that must have gone up shortly after I looked at their website. I’ve seen lots of responses from
