As the threat of biological weapons increases, there is a growing need to understand and prevent any outbreaks to the human population. Ohio State's response to this is a new veterinary public health specialization.
Starting next fall, the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Public Health will unleash its collaborative effort for students that are interested in the veterinary or public health field.
"Everything is ready to go, all the courses are ready to go," said Armando Hoet, doctor of veterinary medicine and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Thomas Wittum, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine, said this new specialization will be one of six students can choose from for the master of public health. Others include biometrics and health services management and policy.
The specialization will focus on zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transmitted from the animal population to the human population, Hoet said.
Hoet said many diseases are zoonotic and most biological weapons include zoonotic diseases.
"The specialization will provide information about how to respond to zoonotic outbreaks and outbreaks of food borne disease," he said. "This specialization focuses on how we can prevent and control them."
Some examples of zoonotic and food borne diseases include the West Nile virus, salmonella, anthrax, mad cow disease, E. Coli, malaria and avian influenza, Hoet said.
Hoet said there are many doctors that work with animals that know how to see symptoms in animals and treat them, and doctors that work with humans that would know how to treat a person bitten by animals and how to cure them, but there is a need for doctors knowledgeable in the interaction between animals and humans.
"Everything you see (in the media) is related to outbreaks in zoonotic diseases, and there is a need for people in the United States to be ready in this area and take charge of that responsibility," Hoet said. "The need (for this education) has always been there. We need to be ready to respond and minimize the human losses and animal losses."
"The risk (of an outbreak) is low, but it is important to be prepared in case the unlikely happens," Wittum said.
Wittum said they first started putting the specialization together during the fall of 2004.
"We are very excited to move this program forward," Hoet said. "It will be the link to create professionals that can take care of these problems."
"There will be courses specific to this program, and some that are already offered," Wittum said. "There are new specialty modifications of courses that are already in place."
Hoet said there are three required courses to begin the education for the veterinary public health specialization. The courses have to be taken in sequence.
Wittum said he and Hoet will be the primary leaders and instructors for these courses. They plan on bringing in experts on each area to speak to the students.
Other classes that students pursuing the specialization can take involve studies in prevention of disease and economy health systems.
Hoet said that students can finish the veterinary public health specialization in one-and-a-half to two years after being accepted in to the program and finishing a research project and manuscript.
Wittum said 60 credit hours are required to finish the specialization and obtain the masters degree. If students want to go to veterinary school they will spend four years in that and one year for the specialization.
Hoet said students pursuing the degree specialization can apply for jobs in the food industry, pharmaceutical field and international agencies.
"There is a need for trained people to deal with these issues, and there is plenty of a market for people with these degrees," he said.
Hoet said that the veterinary pubic health specialization is the only program of its kind in Ohio.
Wittum said there are similar programs around the country, such as at the University of Minnesota, but the OSU program takes a different approach. He said that other schools require students to study veterinary public health while they are in veterinary school, but at OSU students are permitted to start the program before veterinary school.
"We've had several applicants," Hoet said. "We believe the target audience will be students in the science area, or veterinary sciences.
"A large part of our applicants are from other universities or states," he said. "With this early response we can visualize a response across the country."
The School of Public Health is currently accepting applications for admission into the veterinary public health specialization to start in fall 2005. Hoet said applications will be accepted until June 30 instead of the original March deadline.
"We don't want to leave anybody outside (the program)," Hoet said.
When the applications are received, they are reviewed by a committee, Hoet said. Those who are accepted will receive a phone call and a letter which will explain the process of completing the specialization.
Hoet said since the program is new, they expect to only take 15 applicants for the 2005-2006 school year.
"We don't want a lot of people and then not be able to give them what we promise," he said.
After the first year, Hoet said they will accept an unlimited amount of students every fall for the specialization.
"There is enough faculty to deal with this program," he said. "We think this specialization will have a high demand since we have daily interactions between the animal population and the human population."
Hoet said that while zoonotic diseases can be dangerous, they are not a grave danger.
"You have to be very careful," he said. "We know those diseases are out there, and although they are not that common in the U.S., we need to know about them, how they behave, and how to prevent and control them so they do not become a threat."
"That does not mean that we need to hate or avoid animals at all," Hoet said. "Going to a petting zoo and taking your kids (for example), is a good experience for them to interact, and they should just wash their hands."
"Humans should not be afraid of animals," he said. "They are more likely to get sick from other people."
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