HISTORY and General Concept of

VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH

- Dr. Shekhar Pokhrel

 History of vet public health

• The relationship between animal health and

human health has been recognised since
ancient times
• 18th century the medical authorities both in
the UK and on continental Europe were
instrumental in developing the disease control
measures to combat rinderpest
• Rudolph Virchow(1821–1902)
“Between animal and human medicine there is
no dividing line – nor should there be.”

19th century and the early 20th century:

– interest in linking human and veterinary
medicine
– discoveries that there were similar disease
processes in both animals and humans.
mid 20th century:
– collaboration between human and veterinary
medicine declined
– No any collaboration between the two professions.
– Reasons include the degree of specialisation which
occurred in both professions and also the different
objectives placed on human and veterinary medicine
• “Veterinary Public Health comprises all the community
efforts influencing and influenced by the veterinary
medical arts and sciences applied to the prevention of
diseases, protection of life, and promotion of the well
being and efficiency of man.”(1951 FAO).
• 1975 The FAO/WHO joint technical report
modified the earlier definition.

• “Veterinary Public Health is a component of

public health activities devoted to the
application of professional veterinary skills,
knowledge and resources for the protection
and improvement of human health".
• 1984: “One medicine“: 1st used Dr. Schwabe in
his book, Veterinary Medicine and Human
Health,

• 14 October 2008: ,“One Health” approach was

evolved to promote partnership by developing
increased cooperation and collaboration
between professionals working in the human
and veterinary fields .
New concept

“One World, One Health”

 Concept of Veterinary Public
Health

06/16/2023 Dr. Shekhar Pokhrel, FAVF,AFU 9

 Health is the state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not
Health merely the absence of disease or
infirmity

the science of protecting and

Public health improving the health of people and
their communities

the contributions to the physical,

Veterinary mental and social well being of
public health humans through an understanding
and application of veterinary science

06/16/2023 Dr. Shekhar Pokhrel, FAVF,AFU

- WHO, FAO and OIE, 1999
10
• Veterinary public health (VPH) is a component
of public health that focuses on the application
of veterinary science to protect and improve the
physical, mental and social well-being of humans
 THE ROLE OF VPH
1. Prevention and Control of zoonotic diseases.
2. Food protection
3. Environmental protection
4. Veterinary public health services.
Prevention and control of Zoonotic diseases

• -Zoonoses, epidemiology, transmission and

control of zoonosis
• Scientists estimate that
– > 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in
people are spread from animals,
– 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious
diseases in people are spread from animals
 Food protection (hygiene of foods of animal
origin)

• Food microbiology
• Food chemistry
• Milk Hygiene
• Meat hygiene

• Food and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases are leading

causes of illness and death in less developed countries,
killing approximately 2.2 Million people annually 1.9
million of whom are children.
 Environmental protection
• protect humans and animals from adverse
environmental effects
• identify safe water supplies
– advise water protection
– diagnose waterborne diseases and toxicoses
• advise on human health hazard associated with
animals and animal wastes
• to understand principles of agricultural waste
management and to be able to guide in preventing
hazards of disease transmission and toxic agents
 Veterinary public health services

• Animal monitoring for public health hazards

• Animal model laboratories
• Community services
Milk Hygiene in relation to VPH
 Milk
• According to Prevention of Food Adulteration
Act(PFA, 1955) milk may be defined as the
normal mammary secretion derived from
complete milking of healthy milch animal
without either addition there to or extraction
there from. It shall be free from colostrum.
• Milk may be defined as wholesome, fresh,
clear lacteal secretion obtained by the
complete milking of one or more apparently
healthy udders, excluding that obtained within
15 days before and 5 days after calving or such
periods as may be necessary to render the
milk colostrum free, and containing the
minimum prescribed percentage of milk fat
and milk solids-not-fat(Sukumarde, 1980).
Hygiene
• The science concerned with maintenance of
health in other words clean / healthy conditions.

Milk hygiene
• The science concerned with production of clean,
wholesome milk which is free from bacteria or
other disease causing organisms and
maintenance of this condition from farm to
consumer.
 Importance Of Milk Hygiene

• Though the milk secreted into an uninfected

cow's udder contains few micrococci of
harmless nature, invariably it becomes
contaminated during milking, cooling and
storage
• milk is an excellent medium for bacteria,
yeasts and moulds that are the common
contaminants
 Key sources of contamination

• Faecal contamination from soiled animals,

especially teats, udders and tails.
• Bacterial contamination from poor milking
practices, soiled hands, soiled equipment and
failure to clean and disinfect teats prior to milking.
• Contamination due to failure to detect abnormal
milk (mastitis pathogens, blood and clots).
• Bacterial contamination from inadequate cleaning
and disinfection of milking equipmentand bulk
milk tanks.
• The rapid growth of micro organisms , particularly
at high ambient temperatures can cause marked
deterioration, spoiling the milk for liquid
consumption or manufacture into dairy products.
This can be avoided by adopting the simple, basic
rules of clean milk production.
• Physical contamination, especially from perished
components in milking machines and bulk tanks,
dust, bedding materials, dung, insects and animal
hair.
• Chemical contamination from veterinary product
residues, cleaning chemicals and use of non food-
grade equipment
 Diseases And Microorganisms That Contaminate
From Animal To Milk & from Milk To Human

• Tuberculosis,
• Brucellosis,
• Streptococcus infections,
• Staphylococcus aureus,
• Salmonellosis,
• Q-fever,
• Anthrax,
• Leptospirosis,
• E.coli 0157:H7
• Actinomycosis,
• Campylobacteriosis,
• Listeriosis,
• Hepatitis,
• Louping ill virus,
• FMD virus,
• Cow-pox,
• Pseudo Cow-pox,
• Enterovirus infections
 Diseases And Microorganisms That
Contaminate From Human To Animal & from
Animal To Milk And Milk To Human

• Streptococcal infections ,
• Staphylococcal infections and
• Diphtheria
 Diseases And Microorganisms That
Contaminate From Human To Milk & Milk To
Human

• Adeno virus • tuberculosis,

• Entero virus • group A streptococci
infections, infections,
• Infectious hepatitis, • paratyphoid,
• diphtheria, • typhoid, and
• cholera, • Shigellosis.