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Newsletter Volume 5 Issue 16 15 August 2025 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Editor Public Health In the News Food Safety In The News Advocacy and Committee News Announcements
Resources Continuing Education |
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Communications Specialist Mandy Sorensen, DVM, MPH |
| From the Editor Hello members,
First, to our members and colleagues at the CDC, please know that we stand in solidarity with you. As former surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams wrote in a Stat News article, "Public health workers are not the enemy. They are our neighbors, our caregivers, our scientists, and our first line of defense in future crises. The CDC shooting should be a wake-up call — not just for policymakers, but for all of us. It’s time to reject the rhetoric that dehumanizes those trying to keep us safe and take real steps to protect them." Thank you for all you do for your community, this country, and the world.
In today's edition there are calls for speakers for upcoming AVMA, USAHA, and ACVPM events in 2026, nominations for Public Health Veterinarian of the Year and the AAFSPHV Director of Education, Research, and Extension, as well as a call for comments on two presentations on cell-cultivated meats from our AVMA Food Safety and Advisory Committee representative, Dr. Scott Brooks. Our AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) Representative Dr. Kristen Clark also provides us with a summary of decisions and events during the HOD Summer Session that took place during the AVMA convention. Please be sure to scroll down to learn more and share your thoughts, nominations, and expertise! Below are some items that might be of particular interest:
Evaluating Efficacy of DVM/MPH Dual Degree Programs - A recently published study in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education reports the results of a national survey evaluating DVM-MPH and VMD-MPH dual degree program efficacy, identifying program shortcomings and gaps, as well as opportunities for improvement. Read the abstract here.
Surveillance on California Dairy Farms Reveals Multiple Sources of H5N1 Transmission - A study published on the preprint server bioRxiv evaluated air, wastewater, and milk samples to establish potential mechanisms of H5N1 transmission in California dairies. Virus was detected in the air, from the exhaled breath of cows, in wastwater, and in milk. Read the preprint study here.
World Organisation for Animal Health Wildlife Situation Report - The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has released its Wildlife Situation Report for the first half of 2025. To read the report, click here. To learn more about WOAH's surveillance and advocacy efforts for wildlife, visit their website here.
Job Board - The job board is updated weekly, and there are a number of interesting roles such as California Department of Food and Agriculture Veterinarian Specialist and General positions,and Idaho State Department of Agriculture Senior Veterinary Medical Officer. If you're looking for new employment, I encourage you to check it out. Likewise, if you're hiring, feel free to send postings to editor@aafsphv.org so I can make sure to share them with fellow members. You can view job postings here.
One Health Heroes - We have been partnering with Dr. Brittany Lancellotti of Your Vet Wants You To Know to bring public health information to pet owners and veterinary professionals twice monthly in a segment called 'One Health Heroes'. This week's episode features Dr. Joseph Annelli, National Association for Federal Veterinarians (NAFV) Executive Vice President and distinguished public health veterinarian, former USDA leader and international expert in avian influenza, pandemic preparedness, and One Health strategy.
You can listen to episodes here on Apple Podcasts or here on Spotify. It's a great experience and platform, and If you'd be interested in sharing your expertise on a One Health topic on the podcast, please email me at editor@aafsphv.org
To continue to support our members, and provide access to high quality continuing education, we're updating the CE calendar regularly, so take a look. As always, if you have news, ideas, CE or job opportunities, or concerns you'd like to share, please send them my way at editor@aafsphv.org. I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for all the incredibly valuable work you do! |
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PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE NEWS |
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Heart rate variability derangements in dogs with Chagas disease: a potential indicator of autonomic and cardiac disruption
Madigan, R., West, T., Ascanio, L. C., Ramirez, J. D., McMahan, C., & Paniz-Mondolfi, A. (2025). Heart rate variability derangements in dogs with Chagas disease: a potential indicator of autonomic and cardiac disruption. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 263(7), 888–895. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.12.0773 Objective To assess heart rate variability (HRV) as a marker of autonomic nervous system disruption and its role in disease progression in dogs with Chagas disease (CD), and to evaluate arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities in symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Methods
A prospective observational study was conducted on dogs treated at a small animal hospital in central Texas from August to December 2023. Ambulatory 24-hour Holter monitoring was conducted to assess HRV metrics (proportion of pairs of successive NN intervals differing by > 50 milliseconds and root mean square of the successive differences), arrhythmias, and conduction abnormalities. Heart rate variability parameters were categorized as high, normal, or low. Dogs were classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic on the basis of clinical presentation, and comparisons of HRV and ECG findings between groups were performed...
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Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations
León, F., Le Bohec, C., Pizarro, E.J. et al. Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations. Sci Rep 15, 29499 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14651-3
An extensive survey for the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAIV) H5 in seabird species is reported here. It was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, in thirteen breeding sites spanning from the northeastern sector of the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea, including the coasts of the Bellingshausen Sea and the Amundsen Sea. Nine individuals from Pygoscelis adeliae and Leucocarbo bransfieldensis tested positive for RT-PCR amplification of a H5 segment of HPAIV in two different locations on the Antarctic Peninsula. This study suggests the possibility of the first cases of HPAIV H5 in the Antarctic continent, potentially adding two new species to the list of infected species. It also highlights the southernmost suspected cases identified to date of surveillance, and notably, no cases were detected between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea.
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Salmonella and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria recovered from livestock feed components include Escherichia coli ST167 expressing NDM-5 carbapenemase
Mollenkopf, D. F., Parker, E. M., Li, C., Ballash, G. A., & Wittum, T. E. (2025). Salmonella and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria recovered from livestock feed components include Escherichia coli ST167 expressing NDM-5 carbapenemase. Preventive veterinary medicine, 244, 106625. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106625
Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, including both pathogens and commensal organisms, can be introduced into livestock populations by a variety of mechanisms including contaminated water, animal and human movement, and animal feed. We hypothesized that animal feed is an important mechanism for introduction of both Salmonella and commensal reservoir bacteria harboring mobile antimicrobial-resistance genes into livestock populations. The identification of high-risk feed components may allow targeted interventions that will reduce carriage of these organisms in food animals and ultimately improve food safety. We collected 666 livestock feed component samples from 16 individual local mills (n = 263) and from 2 corporations with multiple feed mills located across the US (n = 403). Salmonella enterica were recovered from 7.2 % of samples (n = 48) and were more likely to be found (P < 0.02) in blended feeds, animal protein components, and oilseed meals. We also recovered two carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates (0.3 %), both E. coli sequence type 167 O101:H9 carrying an IncF plasmid mediated blaNDM-5, from two dried distiller’s grain samples sourced from two states in the upper Midwest...
Read More |
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What to know From the CDC H5 Bird Flu webpage:
"On July 7, 2025, CDC streamlined H5N1 bird flu updates with routine influenza data updates and updated reporting cadences to reflect the current public health situation. As such, the following changes were made to this page: Data on the number of people monitored and tested for bird flu are reported monthly.
USDA data on HPAI detections in animals will no longer be reported on the CDC website. These data can be found on USDA's website. CDC will continue to report any additional human cases of H5 bird flu here and in FluView."
Visit the CDC's H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation page |
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New World Screwworm Current Situation and Resources |
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Latest Update:
August 15, 2025 - A joint press conference with USDA Secretary Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott was held in Austin this morning. Secretary Rollins relayed a variety of plans including continued cooperation with Mexican authorities, increasing the number of USDA Tick Riders patrolling the border to detect animals that may be infected with NWS, plans for a new sterile fly facility 20 miles from the Mexican border, and called for continued innovation to determine novel ways to address the threat of NWS. An official press release from the USDA is not available yet.
Screwworm Resources:
New World Screwworm remains a threat and was last detected 370 miles south of the US-Mexico border, and all veterinarians should be sure to know the signs and how to report potential infestations. Below are some resources on identifying, treating, and reporting cases that may be helpful.
A great, concise article from the AVMA on NWS diagnosis, treatment, and how to report cases can be found here.
The USDA-APHIS page on New World Screwworm can be found here.
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension New World Screwworm Fact Sheet can be found here.
USDA-APHIS Training Module 41 on New World Screwworm can be found here. This is highly recommended viewing for all veterinarians. |
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ADVOCACY AND COMMITTEE NEWS |
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AAFSPHV Board Representative, AVMA HOD Kristen Clark, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
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| AVMA House of Delegates Summer Session Summary
Greetings AAFSPHV Members!
The 2025 AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) Summer Session was held July 17-18 in conjunction with the AVMA Convention in Washington DC. It was another productive and successful meeting!
As a reminder, the HOD is the principal body within the AVMA responsible for establishing policy and providing direction for matters relating to veterinary medicine. It is comprised of one delegate and one alternate delegate from each of the Principal Veterinary Organizations (including each state, the District of Columbia, and territories belonging to the U.S.) as well as select Constituent Allied Veterinary Organizations (including AAFSPHV), the Uniformed Services, and the Student AVMA. The HOD meets twice per year—once in January in conjunction with the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference and once during the summer in conjunction with the AVMA Convention.
As always, we want to thank all of you as AAFSPHV members for your valuable feedback in preparation of the HOD meeting – your expertise and knowledge make a difference! In order to maintain this vital representation in the AVMA HOD, a certain percentage of our AAFSPHV membership must also be AVMA members. Therefore, we encourage all of you to be AVMA members so that we can continue to bring this important voice to our profession.
Highlights from our 2025 HOD Summer Session include:
Resolutions
The HOD considered seven resolutions. All resolutions were revisions of current policies. Not only do policies provide guidance to the veterinary profession, they also provide a message from which the Association can advocate for the profession on legislation, regulation, public outreach, and more.
Resolution 9—Pediatric Sterilization of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits – Passed as amended
Resolution 10—Therapeutic Pet Food Health Claims – Passed as amended
Resolution 11—Sow Housing – Passed as amended
Resolution 12—Declawing of Domestic Cats – Passed as amended
Resolution 13 - Pain in Animals - Passed as amended
Resolution 14—Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA) – Passed
Resolution 15—Mitigating Hazards in the Veterinary Workplace – The House approved a
motion by a two-thirds majority to waive the prior notice provision for resolution 15.
Passed as amended.
Advocacy Visits to Capitol Hill
Hundreds of veterinary professionals came together from across the nation to meet with
members of Congress and their staff to advocate for legislation important to veterinarians. In just four hours, 364 people, including 117 veterinary students, attended 274 meetings with law makers and staff of all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. We discussed the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R. 1266/S. 5455) that targets the emerging threat of illicit xylazine, while preserving veterinary access to the animal sedative. We also discussed the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act (H. R. 2398/S. 1163), formerly known as the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act, intended to increase access to veterinarians in veterinary shortage areas by assisting with the significant obstacle of educational debt, aligning tax code with human and other healthcare professions’ award funds, and maximizing the funding allocated to the highly successful VMLRP. We were so successful the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act added two additional co-sponsors within just 24 hours.
Elections
Several elections took place at this HOD session. The position of President-Elect was contested between former Vice President Dr. Jennifer K. Quammen of Walton, Kentucky, and outgoing District 3 Director, Dr. Mary Ergen. Dr. Quammen was elected President-Elect and will succeed Dr. Michael Q. Bailey as AVMA President for the 2026 – 2027 association year. Drs. Robert Knapp and Elizabeth Boggier launched their respective campaigns for 2026-2027 AVMA President-Elect and 2026-2028 AVMA Vice President, respectively.
The Board of Directors welcomed Dr. Libby Todd (District 3) and Dr. James Webber (District 5). Dr. Sandy Willis (District 11) was elected as Chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Richard Sullivan (District 10) was elected Vice Chair.
The HOD re-elected two members, Drs. Diana Thome and Stuart Brown, as well as new member Dr. Christopher Gargamelli. to the House Advisory Committee (HAC). Drs. Lindy O’Neal and Diana Thome were elected Chair and Vice-Chair of the HAC, respectively.
World Veterinary Association (WVA) Congress
The AVMA was proud to host the 40 th World Veterinary Association (WVA) Congress alongside the AVMA Convention. This was the first collaboration between AVMA and the World Veterinary Association since 2005 and only the third time the WVA Congress has been held in the U.S. The HOD received greetings from many International Dignitaries from across the globe.
The 2026 AVMA Convention will be held next summer in Anaheim, California.
As your AAFSPHV Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the HOD, we are here to serve you and to bring your valuable input on current and emerging topics in veterinary medicine to the forefront. We want to hear from you and truly value your input. You can find our contact information listed below. There is also a variety of AVMA volunteer opportunities available on the AVMA website. Please notify us if you’re interested in having AAFSPHV support your interest in a position with a nomination. We look forward to talking with you!
Respectfully submitted,
Kristen Clark, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
AAFSPHV Delegate
Kristen.Clark@state.mn.us
Katherine Waters, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
AAFSPHV Executive Vice President and Alternate Delegate executivevp@aafsphv.org |
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AVMA Food Safety Advisory Committee Representative
Scott Brooks, DVM, MPVM, MS, DACVPM |
| Cell Cultivated Meat - AVMA Food Safety Advisory Commitee (FSAC) Request for Comments by Sept 15 FSAC has been charged with reviewing the topic of human foods made with cultured animal cells (a.k.a. cell cultivated meat). To view presentations and for details, please visit Dr. Brooks' post on the AAFSPHV Message Board.
After reviewing the attachments, if you have comments for FSAC related to the food safety/public health science of the topic, please provide them by Sept 15, 2025. |
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Executive Vice President, Katherine Waters, DVM, MPH, DACVPM |
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Call For Nominations for AAFSPHV Board of Directors Seat |
The AAFSPHV is seeking candidates for the following Board of Directors position for a 3-year term from Nov 2025 - Sept 2028:
Director, Education, Research, and Extension
DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: Oct 1 2025
We welcome self-nominations. Information about this position is listed below. Directors are members of the governing board. Meetings are held via Zoom for 1 hour once a month. This Director should plan to participate in our standing committee on Student Outreach.
Members who would like to nominate themselves or another member should fill out the nomination form by clicking here
. AVMA membership is required for our Governing Board members.
Questions? Contact Katherine Waters at executivevp@aafsphv.org
AAFSPHV Bylaws concerning Directors: ARTICLE XI: DIRECTORS
Section 1: The minimum number of Directors of this association shall be six, with one Director from each of the following employment sectors: Federal (Civilian), State/Local, Uniformed Services, Private, Education/Research/Extension, and At-Large.
Section 2: The terms of office for the current Directors shall be three years and their terms shall be staggered.
Section 3: The Directors will serve as members of the Governing Board and will provide specialized employment sector advice, support, and assistance in determining the policies and pursuing the objectives of the association.
Section 7: All members of the Governing Board shall be current AVMA members.
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AAFSPHV Director, Education/Research/Extension Will Sander, DVM, MPH, DACVPM |
| Call for Nominations for Public Health Veterinarian of the Year
The American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians (AAFSPHV) is currently seeking nominations for our Public Health Veterinarian of the Year award.
Each year, the AAFSPHV recognizes a veterinarian who has gone above and beyond in their contributions to the important fields of veterinary public health and food safety. The Public Health Veterinarian of the Year award recognizes a veterinarian’s outstanding accomplishments in the field of public health, including the field of food safety. The nomination form is found on the AAFSPHV website here. Self-nominations are encouraged!
For consideration, nomination forms must be received electronically through the AAFSPHV website no later than September 12, 2025.
Please consider nominating a worthy individual who has contributed to these important fields! Sincerely, Will Sander
AAFSPHV Director of Education/Research/Extension |
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| Call for Speakers for AVMA, USAHA, and ACVPM Events in 2026 AAFSPHV, in partnership with the National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV)
organizes speakers for the AVMA and USAHA annual meetings each year. We are
putting out a call for speakers for our food safety symposia at AVMA 2026 in Anaheim,
CA and USAHA 2026 in Madison, WI. We also need speakers for the monthly webinars
we provide in partnership with ACVPM.
AVMA and USAHA are scheduled as in-person events. Speaker benefits are at the
discretion of the AVMA for the AVMA Convention. USAHA is a volunteer speaking
event.
Areas of interest are talks around the theme of “It’s a Small World – Emerging Diseases
and the Interdependence of Global Food Safety and Food Security.” Some examples might be, wet markets, prevention of emerging diseases and their impact on global food safety/food security, etc.
We welcome submissions outside of these topic areas as well and look forward to your
participation.
Those who wish to be considered should fill out the Speaker's Bureau Form in the Member Center by end of business on Wednesday, October 1st .
If you have a topic in mind but would like more information, questions can be sent to
pres-elect@aafsphv.org
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President-Elect Jane Lewis, DVM, MS, DACVPM |
| Membership and Admissions Committee Seeking Volunteers
This committee shall be responsible for actively recruiting members and determining eligibility for membership. Time commitment: this committee has been inactive and will need to meet via Zoom 1-2 times a month for 3 months to develop a member recruitment and retention strategy. After 3 months, meetings will be as needed. If interested, contact Jane Lewis at jmlvet94@gmail.com |
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Experiencing hardship?
The AVMA offers reduced dues or dues exemption for qualified applicants.
To learn more and apply click here |
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Not One More Vet offers a variety of resources to support veterinary professionals including micro-grants for those experiencing hardship. To learn more about the resources NOMV features, visit them here.
To learn more about micro-grants, click here. |
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ACVPM Continuing Education Webinar- Public Health Perspective on Brucella canis: Lessons Learned from Epidemiological Investigations — South Carolina, 2023-2024
After multiple epidemiologic investigations during 2023–2024, the South Carolina Department of Health (SCDPH) uncovered educational gaps in veterinarian, physician, and dog owner knowledge of brucellosis. Investigative challenges included testing affected dogs and canine contacts, classifying human exposures without approved testing, and coordination between clinical veterinarians, public health epidemiologists, and public health laboratorians. SCDPH responded by using a One Health approach to improve educational gaps, connect exposed persons to healthcare providers, and develop a strategic low-cost testing program for affected dogs. These investigations highlight the need for a better understanding of seroprevalence in dogs, development of a serologic test for humans, and more educational outreach for veterinarians and dog owners to protect public and animal health.
When: 27 August at 1pm Pacific Time
Where: Zoom Webinar
Cost: Free! (a benefit of being an active or emeritus ACVPM Diplomate, an ACVPM candidate, or an active member of AAFSPHV, NAFV, NASPHV, or USAHA)
CE Hours: This webinar has been granted up to one hour of CE credit by RACE. Participants must be active members of the ACVPM or its partner organizations and must participate for at least 50 minutes of the webinar to receive a one hour CE certificate.
To Register for the Webinar: Click HERE
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Looking for more CE or have a CE event you'd like to share?
View our full calendar here
To share an upcoming event, please email me at editor@aafsphv.org |
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Please follow AAFSPHV on Social Media. We just joined bluesky |
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AAFSPHV News Brief Vol 5 Iss 16 www.aafsphv.org |
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