Rat bite fever (RBF) is an uncommon disease in people, but one that I nonetheless spend a lot of time talking about with owners, veterinarians, and physicians (and sometimes lawyers). It’s a bacterial infection spread by (you guessed it) rats. The causative agent of RBF is an obscure bacterium called Streptobacillus moniliformis, which lives

A few diagnostic labs in North America are now offering testing in animals for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Testing capacity is great to have and I’m glad some labs have geared up tests. BUT routine testing of pets, healthy or sick, isn’t something we’re recommending, for a few key reasons.

Testing as part

While the whole story hasn’t been sorted out, it seems pretty clear that one or more animal species at the Wuhan Seafood Market (which sold much more than just aquatic animals and their products) was the source of the novel coronavirus.  Just like SARS.

Once again, this has raised concerns about markets where diverse live

I saw a TV commercial yesterday talking about a skin product and how it “protects your microbiome.” Microbiome is a big buzzword now, but do what do we really know?

A lot, and almost nothing.

The microbiome is the vast population of microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that live in a site like the intestinal tract, respiratory

“One Health” is getting a lot of talk (but still not enough action) these days. It deals with the intersection of human health, animal health and the environment. Unfortunately, all of these components don’t get treated equally, and the environment often gets ignored. There are a variety of reasons for that, which I won’t get