Infection Prevention in Veterinary Medicine: A Growing Field With New Challenges

Veterinary medicine¹ has increasingly become a focal point in the conversation about infection prevention. During an interview with Infection Control Today® (ICT), Andrea Thomas, DVM, PhD, MSc, BSc, director of epidemiology at BlueDot Global, and Mariana Torres Portillo, MD, infectious disease surveillance manager at BlueDot Global, highlighted how the recent COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of preventing the spread of viruses between humans and animals. The transmission of diseases, such as COVID-19 and mpox, not only among humans but also to pets and wildlife, has opened up a wider discussion about zoonotic diseases that spread between animals and people.

Thomas acknowledged that veterinarians often act as generalists, managing everything from surgery to routine checkups, all while trying to prevent the spread of infections. This tall order is why a more specialized focus on veterinary infection prevention is gaining traction. There is a growing recognition of the need to fill knowledge gaps, particularly with emerging diseases, and to create guidelines to help professionals avoid potential outbreaks.

“The current pandemic that we’re still in has brought that to light,” Thomas told ICT. We had a new virus spreading between people, but it could also be passed to our pets. That alone has brought a lot of attention to the need to prevent the sharing of viruses and pathogens between animals and humans….² That’s a tall order, and it is great to know that this is a growing field and [that there is] a growing…recognition of the need to fill those gaps and have people who are dedicated to thinking about this problem, communicating around it, and developing guidelines, because we don’t always have those—especially with emerging infectious diseases—in veterinary health care.

“It’s a lot to stay on top of. You’re already treating the patients in front of you. [Still], you also need to understand what could be coming your way that you need to prepare for. [It] is a tall order, and having professionals who are dedicated to monitoring those trends, getting ahead of them, and developing guidelines before they’re needed, hopefully, is going to be a huge benefit to the field,” Thomas continued.

For instance, zoonotic diseases account for an estimated 75% of emerging infections.³ Recent research from China has identified dozens of animal viruses that could become future public health threats.⁴ As Torres Portillo emphasizes, professionals dedicated to monitoring these threats and developing proactive guidelines will be essential for keeping both animals and humans safe.

“I think we should first…[improve] the air quality…. [There are] many discussions into airborne pathogens, droplets vs aerosols, that have been concealed to further prevent [pathogens]. [At the] top [of the list will]be handwashing for many pathogens, [as] that is another way of transmission.” Torres Portillo said.

Regarding recommendations for veterinary infection preventionists, the focus is on fundamental actions, such as air filtration, improved hand hygiene, and a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. Torres Portillo also highlighted the need to protect veterinary professionals, as they are often in direct contact with animals and their fluids, increasing their risk of exposure.

A key opportunity is a more vital collaboration between human and veterinary infection prevention teams. Learning from human health experiences can help enhance veterinary protocols, bridging gaps across both fields.

“Just like in health care, these are critical resources…. We don’t have enough of them in veterinary medicine, either.” Thomas said. “There is a shortage, and we need to protect their health. That’s absolutely critical…and I do think there are gaps. It is an area that hasn’t had as much focus as it has for human health. It’s also asking a lot for public health to take on that responsibility, too, where there may not be as much expertise. Having a dedicated veterinary infection prevention training, [having] guidelines developed, [and] building that field up would be valuable across multiple fronts.”

Both Thomas and Torres Portillo see opportunities for a stronger collaboration between human and veterinary infection prevention teams. “This whole conversation is how we’re all connected. We can’t have a separation between human and animal health, so I think it will have to be very cross-collaborative,” Thomas said.

References

1. Whitacre Martonicz T. Veterinary infection prevention: a discussion with Leslie Kollman, BS, CVT, CIC. Infection Control Today. June 20, 2024. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/veterinary-infection-prevention-discussion-leslie-kollmann-bs-cvt-cic
2. Meet Infection Control Today’s editorial advisory board member: David Levine, PhD, DPT, MPH, FAPTA. Infection Control Today. August 21, 2024. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/meet-infection-control-today-s-editorial-advisory-board-member-david-levine-phd-dpt-mph-fapta
3. Milbank C, Vira B. Wildmeat consumption and zoonotic spillover: contextualising disease emergence and policy responses. Lancet Planet Health. 2022;6(5):e439-e448. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00064-X
4. Zhao, J, et al. Farmed fur animals harbour viruses with zoonotic spillover potential, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07901-3