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THE VETERINARIAN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS.

Dr. KEDAR KARK
Introduction
COVID-19 is a zoonotic infection. Bats act as a reservoir to an
intermediate host – pangolin and from there to humans (spill-over)
in a similar transmission mechanism to those of the Middle East
respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses. The response of veterinarians
has been the key to address the current pandemic. On the
occasion of World Veterinary Day, which will be held on April 24,
2021 the OIE pays tribute to the great efforts made by the
veterinary profession to support the human health sector, from
research to human sample testing as well as provision of human
and material resources. The global COVID-19 crisis is imposing
sudden and unprecedented pressures on governments and
industries around the world with virtually all sectors affected.
However the veterinary and animal husbandry systems across
nations are being uniquely impacted not only in relation to how
they provide in the context of current social distancing and travel
restrictions but also in terms of how they are being forced to
anticipate and adapt to what could very well be a significantly
changed labour market in the future.
Livestock have experienced the effect that COVID-19 has had on
the food production sector. The impact was two-pronged during
lockdown: the meat trade was disrupted while simultaneously
feeding habits of the consumers has changed. With restaurants,
markets, schools and canteens closed, people sought more basic
ingredients (flour and eggs) and preferred more cost-effective

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types of meat over expensive non-vegetarian food items. Locally

sourced food and online shopping have become more convenient.
While the market can absorb some changes by using warehouse
storage, this is not possible for any length of time or for every
perishable milk and meat product. As a result, some farmers have
not been able to sell their animals. Abattoirs, meat processing and
packaging plants became hot spots for COVID-19. This has been
observed in many European and American countries as well as
globally. Slaughter houses have had to close down for a longer
time. This has led to welfare problems due to overcrowding on
farms. Animals have been re-routed to other abattoirs, had their
diets changed to slow their growth and culled. Companion
animals have also suffered due to the effects of COVID-19.
People have abandoned their animals due to fear of the virus.
Some have been relinquished because their owners had to move
out of an infected area or be hospitalised. The number of
adoptions has increased. At the height of the pandemic,
veterinarians stipulated that only urgent or emergency procedures
absolutely necessary for the veterinary healthcare of companion
animals could take place. Delays in routine care such as
vaccination and parasite prevention has led to some serious
health and welfare problems as well as an overflow of work after
the restrictions were lifted which has created additional delays in
the delivery of these services. The most worrisome is the potential
impact that the economic recession has on the ability of owners to
pay for healthcare and feed for their animals. This is of particular
concern for animals that are more expensive to keep, such as
horses, which have steep maintenance costs. This is pertinent in
the light of the economic recession which has resulted in a large
increase in horse euthanasia and abandonment in various

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countries. Veterinary systems are in urgent need of a package of

support measures to strengthen their capacity to respond to these
current challenges as well as to adapt and respond effectively to
both anticipated and unanticipated changes in labour market
requirements.
Although COVID-19 has largely impacted on human health,
collaborative efforts have been recognised and acknowledged
regarding the connection between animal and human health, an
interrelationship inherent in the One Health concept. Veterinary
laboratories support COVID-19 testing for humans. Veterinarians
in the country have volunteered in RT-PCR tests and veterinary
practices provided equipment such as ventilators. In a novel
example of humans and animals working side by side, sniffer
dogs are trained to detect COVID-19 in patients. Dogs are now
being used to sniff passengers at airports to detect COVID-19.
Solutions for dealing with the consequences of both the virus and
our response to it have again brought to light the importance of
One Health and the crucial role of veterinarians in the society.
Recognising and documenting these One Health impacts during
the pandemic has facilitated robust discussions and a more
holistic approach among those participating in the response.
Veterinary practitioners wanting to donate PPE or other medical
supplies, or wanting to volunteer as ancillary personnel, are
encouraged to first reach out to their local and state veterinary
associations to see if current local or state orders to do so exist
and/or if the veterinary associations have established a system to
coordinate donations or volunteer participation. Direct
collaboration between local state veterinary associations and local
and state emergency management operation centres and
agencies facilitates identification and fulfilment of needs, helps to
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ensure appropriate resource allocations and allows more direct

coordination with federal emergency management efforts as
needed. It is encouraged to start locally. This helps not only to
direct materials to where they are immediately needed, but also
conserves resources required such as people and transportation
to get those materials transferred.
In conjunction with crisis management effort, it should not be
forgotten, that on a daily basis, the activities of veterinary services
contribute to addressing critical needs, which are heavily
challenged in the current circumstances: food security and safety,
as well as livelihoods are intrinsically linked to sound animal
production systems. It is crucial that veterinary services continue
to implement their multiple activities, which contribute to ensure a
continuum in safe food provision for populations and to sustain
their subsistence. The downstream effects of COVID-19 on
economies, animal health, and food security remain as important
as ever. Through its mission to set animal health and welfare
standards, to inform, and to build capacity, the OIE is fully
mobilised to accompany veterinary services across the world to
address the situation. It has put in place a response mechanism
to support them in several aspects of their work. The OIE liaises
closely with its tripartite partners – WHO and FAO. Several OIE
expert groups are developing scientific advice on research
priorities, sharing results of on-going research in animals, and
developing scientific opinion on the implications of COVID-19 for
animal health and veterinary public health. The OIE has also
developed high level guidance for veterinary laboratories working
with public health services to support testing of human samples
and is currently developing guidance on the circumstances under
which exceptional testing of animals might be justified. Looking to
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the future the OIE is working with its wildlife working group,
member countries and international partners to develop an
ambitious work programme which aims to reduce and manage
risk of spillover events between wildlife, livestock and humans.
The unprecedented nature of this pandemic and the mysteries
around this virus require new and innovative approaches to tackle
it; these will only be developed through cross sectoral
collaboration and collective action. Researchers are using
environmental surveillance to identify future pandemic threats. A
universal programme brings veterinarians, microbiologists and
epidemiologists together to identify whether COVID-19 exists in
different animal populations and the likelihood that those animals
could harbour mutations and potentially pass COVID-19 back to
humans in a new form. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a
potential rise in food insecurity. So many countries and
organisations are mounting special efforts to keep agriculture
running safely as an essential business, ensuring that markets
are well supplied within affordable and nutritious food and the
consumers are still able to access and purchase food despite
movement restrictions and income losses. Animals play an
important role in our society. Not only do they constitute a
significant part of our food chain, but they are also our loving
companions and often our co-workers. The COVID-19 pandemic
threatens the welfare of animals of all kinds. Thus the response of
veterinarians to COVID-19 has been fulfilling in every aspect.