The Role of Veterinary Research in Human Society:
“Between animal and human medicine there is no dividing line—nor should there be. The object is different but the experience obtained constitutes the basis of all medicine.” Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902)
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Virchow’s statement is as wise today as it was over a century ago. That all animal species, including Homo sapiens, are related and that knowledge gained in one species benefits all lead to the concept of “One Medicine”. The One Medicine approach takes advantage of commonalities among species; few diseases affect exclusively one group of animals (wildlife, domestic animals, or humans). On the basis of that view, Schwabe (1984) asserts that veterinary medicine is fundamentally a human health activity. All activities of veterinary scientists affect human health either directly through biomedical research and public health work or indirectly by addressing domestic animal, wildlife, or environmental health. Moreover, veterinary scientists have a responsibility to protect human health and well-being by ensuring food security and safety, preventing and controlling emerging infectious zoonoses, protecting environments and ecosystems, assisting in bio-terrorism and agro-terrorism preparedness, advancing treatments and controls for nonzoonotic diseases (such as vaccine-preventable illnesses and chronic diseases), contributing to public health, and engaging in medical research (Pappaioanou, 2004). Just as the practice of veterinary medicine contributes to our understanding of all medicine or One Medicine, so must veterinary research. It follows that veterinary research is, at a fundamental level, a human health activity. The centrality of veterinary research and its critical role at the interface between human and animal health are often not understood and undervalued. A vision for veterinary research and its contribution to advancing One Medicine and providing solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s animal and human health problems is illustrated below.
ZOONOSIS is any infectious disease that can be transmitted between species (in some instances, by avector) from animals to humans or from humans to animals (the latter is sometimes called reverse zoonosis or anthroponosis). In a study of 1415 pathogens known to affect humans, 61% were zoonotic.The emergence of a pathogen into a new host species is called disease invasion.
ZOONOSIS is any infectious disease that can be transmitted between species (in some instances, by avector) from animals to humans or from humans to animals (the latter is sometimes called reverse zoonosis or anthroponosis). In a study of 1415 pathogens known to affect humans, 61% were zoonotic.The emergence of a pathogen into a new host species is called disease invasion.
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A vision for veterinary research. The One Medicine approach to human and animal health emphasizes the interconnectedness of relationships and the transferability of knowledge in solving health problems in all species.
Veterinary research includes research on prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of animals and on the basic biology, welfare, and care of animals. Veterinary research transcends species boundaries and includes the study of spontaneously occurring and experimentally induced models of both human and animal disease and research at human-animal interfaces, such as food safety, wildlife and ecosystem health, zoonotic diseases, and public policy.
By its nature, veterinary science is comparative and gives rise to the basic science disciplines of comparative anatomy, comparative physiology, comparative pathology, and so forth. Veterinary research occurs in colleges of veterinary medicine, human medicine, dentistry, agriculture, and life sciences; it is done by veterinarians, physicians, and other non-veterinarians in many disciplines. For 2 centuries, responsible public officials have recognized that veterinary research protects our draft animals, our supplies of meat and eggs, and our wildlife
Veterinary research includes research on prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of animals and on the basic biology, welfare, and care of animals. Veterinary research transcends species boundaries and includes the study of spontaneously occurring and experimentally induced models of both human and animal disease and research at human-animal interfaces, such as food safety, wildlife and ecosystem health, zoonotic diseases, and public policy.
By its nature, veterinary science is comparative and gives rise to the basic science disciplines of comparative anatomy, comparative physiology, comparative pathology, and so forth. Veterinary research occurs in colleges of veterinary medicine, human medicine, dentistry, agriculture, and life sciences; it is done by veterinarians, physicians, and other non-veterinarians in many disciplines. For 2 centuries, responsible public officials have recognized that veterinary research protects our draft animals, our supplies of meat and eggs, and our wildlife
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